ã€ŠKasou Ryouiki no Elysionã€‹


 Volume 1, Prologue - The Day They Returned to Being Siblings

    Volume 1, Prologue - The Day They Returned to Being Siblings

    Part 1

    "...eh? You are back to being siblings?"

    "Didn''t I tell you that for a while now?"

    A vast grassland was spreading in every direction, likely reaching the ends of the earth.

    Wind faintly caressed the grass producing one, two waves of dark green. And standing in the middle of the spreading glittering wave, were two girls.

    One of them, was wearing a mysteriously blended kimono. The other one, was wearing something that looked like a white coat.

    "U?mm, I knew you have a brother, you¡¯ve always been bragging about it ever since we first met."

    "Yes. He¡¯s a brother a little sister like me can be proud of."

    The girl with chestnut coloured hair who wore a white coat had a troubled expression. Her hair that was reaching her shoulder blades, swayed lightly in the wind.

    The other one, the ¡ºLittle Sister¡», wore a strange, modified kimono. She had glossy black hair, long enough to cover the entirety of her thin back that was shaped like a piece of art. And above all, there was one more characteristic ¨C she had clear and serene sky-blue eyes like a lapis lazuli.

    "Little Sister longed for this day to come. Finally being able to live together with Brother. Can you understand the feelings of a little sister who, for 8 years was, aaa????lways waiting for this day? No, Rucchan who is not a little sister, cannot understand it."

    "...eh? Is it only Rui-san who thinks what she heard was weird?"

    Being unable to meet their precious person¡ª¡ªshe didn¡¯t seem to hear it like that.

    Rucchan, Saionji Rui, showed an even more troubled expression.

    Looking at her friend¡¯s expression, Fuyuki regretted her fierce outburst.

    "It¡¯s not strange at all, every little drop of Little Sister¡¯s blood, every strand of her hair, exists for the sake of her brother. And her brother¡¯s everything, from the tips of his toes, to the top of his head, belongs to Little Sister. Isn¡¯t that common sense in this world?"

    "No, I¡¯ve never heard of such common sense. Rather, aren¡¯t siblings like that scary?"

    "How rude. What do you know about little sisters, Rucchan?"

    "Certainly, Rui-san isn¡¯t a little sister, however, at least she knows it¡¯s weird."

    Lately¡ª¡ªshe thought that her best friend really loved her brother.

    Ever since she met her, she heard so many stories about her brother, anyone listening to it would notice that.

    Indeed, Karasuba Fuyuki is a brocon, and an extreme one too.

    The fact that she had a very small body aside, ten out of ten men would find her attractive.

    Speaking of which, that girl had no interest in any men other than her brother¡ª¡ª

    "Just now, I¡¯ve had a really bad feeling. Did you think of something rude?"

    "Ahaha, there¡¯s no such thing."

    And she was quite sharp.

    Fuyuki looked at Rui who broke out in a cold sweat after lying to her. However, her line of sight was drawn lower as she thought¡ª¡ªand stopped at the bulging out chest that couldn''t compare to her own.

    "...it¡¯s all right, Little Sister. You know your size is just right for your height."

    "Don¡¯t scowl like you want to take revenge on your parents when you say that."

    Thoughtlessly, Rui got quite scared because she had a well-endowed body.

    It could not be helped, because for girls in puberty, the size of their breasts was a symbol of status.

    Especially, when comparing her breasts with her friend''s who was the same age, Fuyuki''s turned out quite pitiful.

    "...I¡¯m not envious at all."

    "Ahaha..."

    The two of them walked through the vast grassland that does not exist in modern Japan. Although, because of that topic, the atmosphere around them might have become a little bit threatening, they were getting along quite well.

    "Now, what did we talk about again?"

    "About Brother!"

    "Ah, that¡¯s right. So, what do you mean you¡¯re back to being siblings? You¡¯re saying it as if you weren¡¯t siblings until now."

    "Hmm, Rucchan, how much did I tell you about Brother?"

    "A lot, and in detail. I imagine him to be an amazing person after hearing Fuyuki¡¯s stories."

    "And about Little Sister¡¯s home?"

    "Your parents died 8 years ago and you were picked up by the Karasubas, or something like that."

    She was lucky to be taken in by the Karasuba group, which was a leading network company in the world?, is what she thought. Though she didn¡¯t know about her daily life because she never met her best friend outside of the Elysion, she was definitely living quite a wealthy life.

    "If you know that much, the rest is simple. Brother and Little Sister were taken to separate houses and were forbidden to meet ever since."

    "In other words, for whole 8 years?"

    For Rui, learning that, was the biggest surprise today.

    And this brocon little sister endured such long period of time well?, that''s one.

    The other was, why does she yearn for him so much even though they haven¡¯t met in 8 years?.

    Didn''t she consider he might have changed at all?

    Moreover, it¡¯s been 8 years. There¡¯s no telling how he grew up.

    Considering the little sister¡¯s looks, her brother couldn¡¯t be ugly, however, there was no way of knowing how his personality was.

    When she asked about that¡ª¡ª

    "I¡¯m not worried at all, in the first place, we¡¯ve been in touch since last year."

    "Umm? Weren¡¯t you forbidden from meeting each other?"

    "We didn¡¯t meet, we spoke face to face through the terminal."

    Terminal¡ª¡ªan abbreviation for Individual Structure Management Terminal¡ª¡ªthat allowed interactive face-to-face communication with a far away location using a Hologram, however...

    "...The Karasubas overlooked such a simple thing?"

    "No way. I¡¯m happy that we met in the cyber world, as expected the monitoring was very strict, I had no choice but to hack Karasuba headquarters and rewrite the terminal monitoring program. Understanding the program structure, camouflaging anti-monitoring measures, cracking security... and it took me 7 years to skill up."

    "No, you¡¯re talking about doing something crazy hard as if it was something simple? Can Fuyuki do such a thing?"

    The world¡¯s biggest networking company, ¡ºKarasuba¡», hacking into its headquarters with 7 years worth of hacking experience, a girl at the young age of 15.

    Just for the sake of contacting her brother.

    "...Oh well, that¡¯s fine. It can¡¯t be helped, now that it''s done. So, why were you forbidden from meeting in the first place? Was the relationship between the households you were taken into that bad?"

    "That¡¯s one of the reasons, the main reason was to prevent both of us from escaping. Because, Little Sister always said that she wanted to live together with Brother."

    "...in other words, they were concerned that you would elope. No matter how you look at it, you¡¯re siblings so that¡¯s¡ª¡ª"

    "That¡¯s why we had to wait 8 years before we could run away."

    "..."

    "..."

    "Eh? To elope?"

    "Yes. Because it¡¯s the only way for me to be together with Brother."

    Fuyuki said to Rui, causing her to be stunned in amazement. Despite her repeating brother brother brother-brother-brother for years, she didn¡¯t think it would go that far.

    "That means the property nearby you told me about? Is that¡ª¡ª"

    "Ah, I didn¡¯t tell you yet. I¡¯ll be in your care from tomorrow onwards."

    "Do you intend on moving away and making a runaway declaration at once?"

    "We already have enough money for living expenses, it¡¯s a good time as we are about to enter high school. Also, we don¡¯t intend to ¨C we already did. Little Sister is currently in a business hotel."

    "...You¡¯re lucky that Karasuba didn¡¯t find you."

    Fuyuki was a genius programmer, and a hacker. The Karasuba group won¡¯t let her out of their hands because she¡¯ll yield profits. They won¡¯t let go of her as long as she continues to do so.

    "I¡¯ve stopped Karasuba main server just before, giving myself time to move. And, while I was at it, I made a change in the family register, Little Sister is no longer ¡ºKarasuba Fuyuki¡»."

    "Stopped the main server..."

    "Oh, I¡¯ve also infected it with a virus that will not allow it to recover that easily. Little Sister¡¯s special, it will take at least three days to remove it."

    "That¡¯s a billion... no, the damages might be even worse."

    "Little Sister left that house now, I don¡¯t know them anymore. In the first place, Karasuba were the ones who pulled Brother and Little Sister apart, I resent them to the bone."

    The dark emotions Fuyuki harboured could be seen in her vividly coloured pupils. She actually held techniques good enough to stop a world-renowned cyber company, and the intent to perform such a thing without hesitation. A chill went down Rui¡¯s spine.

    Trying to shake that thought away, she changed the topic.

    "Also, what about your brother? He ran away from home too, right?"

    "Yes. Brother is heading to this hotel today, he should have arrived in the city by now¡ª¡ª"

    She stopped, stood still, and was looking towards the sky.

    A distant, crystal clear, and cloudless fantastical sky spread in every direction. It was as if her eyes saw the other world in the distance, the real world.

    "I¡¯m in the middle of running away from home."

    She muttered.

    It was time for Fuyuki¡¯s and Rui¡¯s encounter in the cyber world to end.

    Part 2

    A large Japanese-style building in the mountains far from populated areas. Though the mansion was usually silent, inhabited, and wrapped in the darkness of the night. That day, its appearance was different from usual.

    Echoing and cutting through the darkness were sounds of gunfire and metal crossing each other.

    "Pursue him, don¡¯t let him escape in the name of Renjou!"

    "Yes!!"

    Men belonging to the military, instructed by their leader, on orders from their commander were chasing after a single boy that was running away.

    He had black hair that was suitably trimmed. The good looking boy had a fearless expression. Aware that pursuers were approaching from behind, he ran through the long corridor.

    Even as he ran as fast as the wind, his sky-blue eyes reflected light like a lapis lazuli stone.

    "Geez, how disciplined. Unless I do something I¡¯ll be caught!!"

    After he muttered these words a projectile was shot from behind. The number of pursuers increased to ten men, he judged it with his eyes glancing as he ran. All of them looked awfully rough and held large handguns.

    The dozen from before, all with a military gun ¡ºBlaster¡», the gun''s application depended on the type of bullet used, jumped out.

    "Give up... you¡¯re surrounded."

    Despite hearing the tone of voice of the soldier blocking the front, the boy was completely relaxed.

    Even though the bullets used were configured to be anti-riot paralysis ones, his expression didn¡¯t look like someone¡¯s at whom 10 guns were aimed at.

    In front of him, a person who looked like the commanding officer of the pursuers stepped forward.

    "It¡¯s about time, could you please surrender, young master."

    "It¡¯s an interesting joke, Kasai. Did you think you could catch me with something of this degree?"

    With a fierce smile, the boy turned his body slowly to the side.

    His posture was very close to a natural stance, it wasn¡¯t enough to be called a proper stance. However, the men surrounding him could not hide that they were shaken by the keen spirit he emitted.

    Of course, they were familiar with the boy in front of them. And with the fact that he should not be judged by his appearance.

    They knew very well about the tremendous abilities he was hiding.

    "Certainly, normally even a hundred won¡¯t be a match for the young master. However, even if we don¡¯t have a thousand with us now, we have obtained permission to use blasters against you... I think that¡¯s enough for us to win?"

    "Ho?, you sure have a lot to say. I¡¯ll give you advice out of consideration of your spirit. If you want to compete with me, at least use particle cannon mode and use live ammunition. Even ten thousand paralysis bullets can¡¯t stop me."

    "...then, I¡¯ll take you up on those words. Release the second restriction of the blaster, everyone use blast mode!"

    "K-Kasai-san is crazy, blast mode is used against large machinery such as tanks and battleships, if it even grazes a human there will be no trace of him left."

    Said one of the crew members as he spew foam from his mouth. It was just as he said. Though the particle cannon mode was the trump card and the final form of blaster, it also had limited ammo. It had the power to shoot through thick armour as if it was made from paper.

    Without a doubt, it was not something intended to be used against a single human.

    However, this Renjou.

    Hidden behind the scenes in history ever since ancient times, a military clan that acted as mercenaries throughout the world.

    And the boy was said to be the greatest genius ever among the Renjou.

    "It¡¯s not someone you can hold back against... everyone, shoot to kill!"

    *gachari*, all muzzles were directed towards him simultaneously. Even before the purple electricity appearing in front of the bullets, sparkling and crackling, the boy¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all.

    Then the atmosphere became serious all at once¡ª¡ª

    "...my little sister is waiting. I¡¯ll have you let me pass quickly."

    "Everyone, fire!!"

    Along with the voice, there was a flash of light.

    "........................"

    In the mansion of the Renjou¡¯s main family, standing in the room at the top floor of the building, was a single man.

    A large man that had a body looking like Iwao, he quietly emitted a strong fighting spirit, in front of him was a katana¡ª¡ªhe picked up one of the two heirlooms of the Renjou family.

    "¡ª¡ªYou came, Taiga."

    "Yeah, I¡¯m here¡ª¡ªfather."

    Answering his voice, the door was blown away with a roar. Its centre was lying on the ground, squashed badly, it no longer looked like a door.

    The intruder¡¯s name was Renjou Taiga.

    Just as his name stated, he was one of the Renjou. The terrifying enemy that drove away 80% of the combatants in Renjou¡¯s main house that day. And met with his enemy, Renjou¡¯s 33th generation¡¯s family head, Taiga¡¯s adoptive father, Renjou Gouki.

    "Your determination is... unchanged."

    "Although I feel indebted to you for bringing me up, that has been paid off a long time ago. It may be selfish of me, but I will live where I want, and do what I want. Am I wrong?"

    "You¡¯re wrong. Even if our blood does not flow through your veins, all of Renjou lives in your body. You are the testament of our clan, that¡¯s why you are not allowed to go. More precisely, you¡¯re too dangerous to be allowed to go."

    *shichin*, the sharp sword was drawn from its sheath. One that¡¯s classified as a nodachi, a large sword with nearly a meter long blade.

    This blade that could cut a human apart, was directed towards Taiga.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    Not a single word was spoken.

    Both of them looked for a chance to take down the other, they predicted each other¡¯s actions.

    The sword wielding Gouki, and Taiga without a weapon. Gouki had the advantage.

    And¡ª¡ªit was suddenly settled.

    Without any visible trigger, both figures jumped in at the same time, a fist shot out at the same time as the katana slashed.

    The blade¡¯s edge didn¡¯t reach the boy, it flew towards the sky in vain. And from Gouki¡¯s mouth... crimson red liquid was spit on the floor.

    "...as expected...even unarmed...guh..."

    "Sorry father, I¡¯ve held back so you won¡¯t die."

    Taiga muttered with his left fist embedded in Gouki¡¯s side, he pulled his fist away.

    After receiving the blow, his father¡¯s body rolled to the floor casually. He barely retained consciousness, and his eyes were thinly opened.

    "...what do you...plan...to do now..."

    "Pack up and leave, I came here because I forgot something."

    He replied dutifully to the hoarse voice, he took the other heirloom in his hands and swung it. He clenched his hand on its grip to make sure it felt familiar.

    "Probably, we won¡¯t meet ever again."

    "Is that...so..."

    That was what he conveyed in the end, and calmly walked away. Some people who lack information might think there was a bad relationship between them because they¡¯re not blood-related.

    However, between two warriors, the winner didn¡¯t have anything to tell to the loser, and the loser could only remain silent¡ª¡ª

    After 8 long years, they could finally relate to each other, until the end, that wasn¡¯t the case.

    "...I¡¯ve lived here for 8 years, I¡¯ve grown attached in a way."

    After defeating his father, and taking down all his pursuers, he finally regained silence.

    Taiga¡¯s figure was visible in the forest. Sky-blue eyes that would not disappear, could be seen even in darkness, staring.

    Renjou¡¯s house was already far away.

    After looking behind at it, as if burning the scene in his eyes in the end, he started walking once again.

    "I¡¯m no longer Renjou Taiga. My name is¡ª¡ª"

    "I¡¯m no longer Karasuba Fuyuki. Little Sister¡¯s name is¡ª¡ª"

    "Tenryo Taiga."

    "Tenryo Fuyuki."

    The time that stopped for the siblings 8 years ago, started flowing once more.

 Volume 1, 1 - Moving In, School, and The Cyber World

    Volume 1, Chapter 1 - Moving In, School, and The Cyber World

    Part 1

    A remote city that has significantly developed in the few recent decade.

    The most important factor that allowed it to develop would be the presence of the ¡¶Kiritou Group¡· a conglomerate that has its headquarters in this land.

    It came down to the point where the city''s management was no longer done by the government, instead it was done by Kiritou now which resulted in the city benefiting greatly.

    From establishing new schools, the most advanced Elysion that its foundation, and second life of many people. It seemed like Kiritou cast their shadow on all of it.

    Because of all that, it was now called: New City.

    And now, in a town like that, a boy starts his new life¡ª¡ª

    "Hey you, what do you have wrapped on your back there?"

    "Ah, this is just a bamboo sword okay? It''s nothing dangerous alright?"

    He was caught by the police in front of the station.

    Stations were common routes for bringing in dangerous materials, so a police box''s window was installed where the traffic was greatest.

    It was right before noon, a policeman watching the ticket gate happened to find a boy. Although he was normally dressed, he had a slender, one meter long wrapping strapped on his back¡ª¡ªin modern times it was obvious to be wary of unknown things like that.

    "A bamboo sword? Even though it''s this heavy?"

    "Yeah?...look, it''s this heavy because the core is made out of metal! It has a pretty good feel because of that!"

    "Well, for the time being, why don''t you show it to me?"

    ".................."

    ".................."

    "...farewell!"

    "Hey brat! Don''t run away!"

    But even though he said that, he couldn''t catch the boy.

    The boy couldn''t pull out a blade that was a perfectly dangerous weapon. It was already a miracle that he arrived there without getting caught.

    The boy, who rushed through the crowd with large steps was¡ª¡ªTenryo Taiga.

    While carrying a nodachi that weighted a few kilograms, he ran like the wind, shaking off the police officers that followed him in the blink of an eye.

    After leaving the crowd he continued to run for a while until he made some distance, and finally took a breather.

    "Haa?, to think I was suddenly spotted. This thing stands out after all, I didn''t notice it before because at Renjou''s it was normal to carry these."

    In fact this boy, was probably lacking common sense.

    "Well, I''ll just break through with force if I have to. After all, it''s just police."

    Correction, even if it wasn''t just police, he would still do it.

    Although he remembered the directions from the station, if he went back now he would meet those policemen again. Thus he judged that the best way to proceed would be by operating the device attached to his wrist¡ª¡ªand he started the window.

    On the map of the New City, his position was displayed as a red dot. Taiga looked at the illusory map visible only to him, and memorized the geography of the area.

    "U?mm, the destination is... here."

    There was a blue marker on the map located about five minutes by foot away from his position. And written on top of the marker was ¡ºLittle sister is here¡» with a very lousy handwriting. Taiga slowly started to walk in that direction.

    As expected of New City, every building was modern and clean.

    Taiga who lived in seclusion before looked around curiously sightseeing like a country hick.

    He walked like that and finally his destination came into view (it took him twice as long because of sightseeing).

    "It was the top floor wasn''t it..."

    It was a mansion that stood in the corner of the area with expensive homes, also it was within the walking distance from the station. There were only two apartments on each floor, and each was classified as a luxurious apartment. It was clearly different from all other buildings surrounding it.

    "...uwaa? that Fuyuki, she really splurged on this. Will our funds hold out?"

    Even though Taiga earned a decent amount of money while doing various requests at Renjou''s, it would still be hard to buy an apartment in this mansion.

    He walked past by the perfectly clean reception desk, and entered the elevator aiming for the top floor.

    *ding*¡ª¡ªThe arrival at the highest floor was announced with a light electronic sound, after which the door opened.

    "Beep¡ªbeep¡ª. Warning. The owner of this apartment is currently moving in. People unrelated to moving in are asked to leave."

    "People related are to finish their work and leave quickly as well."

    "Requesting brain wave authentication."

    "Yes yes... there you go."

    He saw an automatically-controlled machine approach him the moment he set a foot on the floor, a ¡¶Drone¡·¡ª¡ªthe small flying machine¡ª¡ªwas a terminal the brain waves confirmation was supposed to be sent to.

    The vein authentication, fingerprint authentication... there were many methods of authentication, and now the mainstream was brainwave authentication. It was possible to identify individuals by the information measured with the terminal.

    "Authentication complete. Confirmed to be the current resident Tenryo Taiga. Please come in."

    After saying that, the egg-like robot went back to work as if nothing happened.

    There was a lot of luggage piled up nearly reaching the ceiling in the hallway, it seemed like the moving in work just started. A dozen of drones were taking them into the apartment one after another.

    Honestly speaking, they looked creepy, like some kind of insects.

    "Technically speaking, drones were always my enemies..."

    Though, the military drones armed with blasters weren''t as fancy as these. He destroyed thousands of small, medium, and large sized ones. Truth be told, he almost reflexively cut down the security drones deployed around the city before.

    Even though he got used to them being deployed in the city now, the old habits don''t die easily.

    While avoiding the white eggs moving to and from, he entered the apartment through the wide-opened door. There was only one apartment on the top floor. The other part of the floor was taken by a garden.

    Because of that, the cost of the top floor was accordingly higher.

    "As expected of Fuyuki. She chose a good place."

    Both Fuyuki and Taiga came from different fields, but both of them were taken in by prestigious families. After taking a hurried look around, he was quite pleased with the apartment.

    He looked at the floor plan on the terminal. There was a living room, bathroom, a dining room combined with kitchen, a toilet, and four rooms in addition to a dressing room and a washroom. Two rooms would be left over even after they moved in.

    Well, one could be used as a storage room.

    There was a large amount of luggage piled up in the hallway. Since Taiga didn''t have much personal belongings, about 70% of the luggage was Fuyuki''s. He didn''t think that much luggage would fit in her room.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª, ¡ª¡ª¡ª, ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    Suddenly, he heard a voice.

    Even among the racket made by the moving in work, his attention was clearly attracted to the cool voice. Taiga put a hand on the doorknob of the room he heard the voice from.

    *clank*¡ª¡ªHe turned the doorknob slowly, opening the door.

    "Ah..."

    There was a girl who bathed herself in the daylight that entered through the window.

    Her black hair shined brilliantly in the sunlight contrasting with her snow white skin. The eyes of the girl who turned around had the colour of a never-ending sky.

    "¡ª¡ªI''m back. It''s been a while, Fuyuki."

    "Yes. It''s been eight years, Brother. Little Sister was eagerly waiting for this moment."

    Greeted with a blooming smile, the siblings were reunited.

    Apparently she was speaking with someone. She closed the terminal''s window and faced towards him.

    "You''re quite late. No wonder the police was suspicious of you when you''re dressed like that."

    "Wait a moment, why do you know that meine Schwester?!"

    "Little Sister has been observing Brother ever since he left Renjou''s by hacking into the monitoring devices everywhere."

    "Could you stop coming up with crimes so easily?!"

    "Hmph, such hurtful words. Little Sister was just worried about her brother who doesn''t know the outside world."

    She pouted slightly in a way that miraculously blended childishness and adult charm, Taiga''s heart skipped a beat taken by surprise.

    Even though they were a twin brother and sister, they didn''t speak face to face for eight years (except for remote communication). The gap between the image of her as a child and the current one was too big, if he wasn''t careful he could see her as someone of the opposite sex.

    That''s how beautiful Fuyuki has become.

    "What is it, brother? Did Little Sister do anything wrong?"

    "Ah, no... it might be a little late, but you really grew up."

    "That''s Little Sister''s line. Even though you were tall in the past, brother has really grown too much."

    "No, it''s just you not growin¡ª¡ª"

    "¡ª¡ªSuddenly, Little Sister was bullied. Brother, sit down in seiza over there right now!"

    "Eh? Suddenly wha¡ª"

    "Sit down."

    "...yes."

    He succumbed to the black pressure that emanated from her small body.

    A mere minute after he reunited with his little sister, a ridiculous situation where the brother was ordered to sit in seiza happened, it could be said that his honour gave him no choice but to do it.

    He reaped what he sowed.

    "Listen brother. This little sister certainly is shorter than average, but she''s just fifteen years old, there''s still more room for growth."

    "Yeah, that''s certainly possible."

    The possibility wasn''t 0%. Still, it was just a dream.

    "In the first place, if the twin brother has grown that tall, it''s possible that the little sister will also grow taller. One year, just one year in a growth period is enough to¡ª¡ª"

    "No, the growth of men and women differs right? In the first place, I''m not that tall, just a little taller than average?"

    ".......*rub rub*''

    "Ouch, it hurts! Don''t scratch me with your toes!"

    "An attack of Little Sister who is so small. is like a mosquito bite isn''t it."

    She was quite angry. But suddenly her expression got unexpectedly gentle.

    Taiga was puzzled by her sudden change of mood. His little sister was definitely angry just now.

    "What is it?"

    "Nothing... even though we reunited after eight years, it''s as if we were always together."

    "...because we are siblings, isn''t it."

    "¡ª¡ªYes."

    It was quite an embarrassing, but a cosy atmosphere.

    What if it becomes awkward¡ª¡ªis what the two of them secretly thought earlier, but that insecurity was gone before they knew it.

    Fuyuki looked into Taiga''s eyes and bended her knees, their eyes of exactly the same colour made contact and she slowly approached him.

    "...umm... wait... hey..."

    Fuyuki was an incredibly beautiful girl. Although she was quite small, despite being her brother he admired her refined features that were like the crystallization of art.

    Fuyuki''s face, with her cherry-blossom coloured lips captured Taiga''s gaze and wouldn''t let go.

    Her lips slowly approached the unmoving brother slowly and provocatively¡ª¡ªmoved right beside his face, and closed on Taiga''s ear.

    "Brother, moving in might take a little longer so let''s go out for lunch."

    She whispered with a voice like a bell, penetrating his brain, and backed off immediately.

    Somehow, he was oddly disappointed by that curt attitude¡ª¡ª

    "What is it, Brother? Maybe you wanted a kiss?"

    "N-n-nn-nn- no way in hell! We''re siblings, siblings!"

    "Why don''t I tell you something good, Brother."

    Fuyuki approached him once again, she stopped at a distance at which their lips almost touched.

    "¡ª¡ªKissing with your little sister is not forbidden by law, you know?"

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!!"

    Momentarily, his blood started boiling.

    The same as his own, Fuyuki''s pupils clearly saw through his inner thoughts.

    The red tongue crawling over the glossy red lips dulled his ability to think.

    "Blushing like that... Brother is so cute."

    A finger that was like white porcelain stroked his cheek. He was strongly hugged and his lips were almost stolen, but his reason kicked in, he grasped her shoulders and separated the himself from her by force.

    "D-d-dun make fun of your brother t-too much."

    He was incredibly shaken.

    And Fuyuki just looked satisfied as she found it interesting how her brother was shaken up, she pulled her body up obediently standing up.

    "Little Sister is satisfied. Let''s stop the teasing at this."

    "It''s too much for my heart..."

    "Fufu, Brother seems not accustomed to girls."

    "Uh... because all I did at Renjou''s was training, there was no opportunity for that. Even I want to have a girlfriend or two¡ª¡ª"

    "Brother, don''t get too full of yourself and cheat. You''ll die you know?"

    "...I don''t really get it, but I''m very sorry."

    He apologized profusely to Fuyuki who made a gesture as if she twisted something with both of her hands.

    Although calmly thinking about it, there was no way she could do such a thing with her thin arms, but the thirst for blood he felt derailed his judgement.

    "Keep your absurd remarks to yourself... it''s a good time to go out for a lunch. The moving in will take a little longer, and I have someone I want to introduce to you."

    The brother had no choice but to comply with his angry little sister. And that aside, he didn''t eat anything since last night anyway.

    Part 2

    The siblings left the mansion. It seemed like Fuyuki arrived in the city in the morning as well, she kept walking by relying on the terminal''s map for directions.

    It was a holiday, so a lot of young people could be seen here and there in the city, within them were pairs that were dating. There was a school nearby, so there was a lot of people who were the same age as them.

    "Haa?"

    It''s a holiday indeed, is what he thought after he saw that and sighed. It was not a sigh caused by negative feelings, but one that came from pure novelty.

    "Did something happen brother?"

    "Mm, no... it''s just, this is how a normal holiday is, huh. At Renjou during holidays I was just immersing myself in training."

    In the house at which those who reached the top of military gathered, there was no concept of holiday. It wasn''t necessary for Taiga either, it was the first time for him to experience the ''Holiday-like'' feeling.

    "You''ve led a really lonely lifestyle, haven''t you."

    "I didn''t really feel lonely. It was fun becoming stronger, and it''s not like I was always alone."

    He thought about the days he kept training.

    Moving with all he had, every day he swung his sword until the skin on his fingers wore out.

    He kept seeking strength, everything he did was for that sake.

    Before he noticed, he was called the strongest, and surrounded by subordinates.

    It would be a lie if he said he didn''t enjoy it. It would be a lie if he said he didn''t regret abandoning those days.

    Even so¡ª¡ªbeing able to stay together with his little sister, he didn''t hesitate.

    Because his strength, commitment, and will, were obtained all for her sake.

    "Ah, it''s here brother." And she stopped walking next to him.

    Three minutes on foot from their apartment. There was a two-story building by the back road on the side of main street many cars were driving through.

    "...caf¨¦ ¡¶Paradise¡·?"

    Even though it was called a caf¨¦, it had a little grown-up feel to it, like a restaurant. At the first glance it felt more like a bar to be accurate¡ª¡ªit didn''t have the glamour a caf¨¦ should have.

    "Hmm certainly, it''s just like Rucchan said, it''s mainly older people who come. Students wouldn''t really enter it."

    "...Rucchan?

    Though it was probably a nickname, he wasn''t familiar with it.

    "Its the person I wanted to introduce you to. Sorry."

    During holidays, normal restaurants earn quite a lot. However this store was more like a bar located in a backalley, and because of that, there were no customers.

    "Welcome to ¡¶Paradise¡·...! Hey, ain''t it Fuyuki!"

    "That''s quite an attitude you show your customers, Rucchan. As a waitress.You might want to show the bare minimum of courtesy."

    "Ahaha, we''re friends so dat''s okay isn''t it? So... is that the rumoured Onii-san?"

    Welcoming the siblings with unhesitating voice, seemingly same age and talking friendly with Fuyuki who always had a severe fear of strangers was¡ª¡ª

    "...a maid?"

    "Not a maid, a waitress."

    It was a complete and perfect maid. Not one of those fake maids with high exposure that are popular these days, wearing an apron dress hiding everything down to her knees, and she had a tasteful, detailed white prim in her hair.

    By the way, the thought ''seemingly same age'' was caused by her unusually incredible body growth as compared to the little sister that stood next to him. Even though the neat maid exposure was small, the feminine bulges could be seen, and his eyes were drawn to her devilish charm.

    "Brother, any more and your eyeballs will be crushed?"

    ¡ª¡ªHe was busted, and diverted his gaze at the speed of light.

    The little sister he reunited with was somewhat dangerous, the brother cried out in secret.

    And, the maid girl held out her hand to him. He understood that it was for a handshake, and overlapped his hand with hers.

    "Nice to meet you for the first time, name''s Saionji Rui, I''ve been getting along as friends with Fuyuki for four years now."

    "I''m Tenryo Taiga, Fuyuki''s brother. Nice to meet you, Saionji-san."

    "Non non, rather than Saionji-san, call me Rui-san. I''ll also call you Taiga."

    "...that''s high tension?. Also, why french?"

    "Rucchan, could you keep your distance from Brother?"

    In addition to previously jabbing at Taiga who was lost in thought unconsciously, Fuyuki gave a warning-like advice to her best friend, that encounter was depressing in various ways for her. But, Rui complained.

    "No, I''ve heard so much from Fuyuki it doesn''t seem like he''s a stranger to me at all. Hey, it''s fine, right?"

    "...if you want to get along, then you''re welcome."

    "Yes! It''s decided! I''ll be in your care from now on Taiga!"

    "Yeah, I''ll be in your care, Rui."

    It was a quite good feeling, so he was swallowed up by the momentum. This kind of thing is not bad¡ª¡ªis what Taiga thought. Because his sister was scared of strangers, so the one to pull the other along was always him. A situation where he was the one pulled, was quite fresh.

    "Mmm¡ª¡ªLittle Sister is quite jealous..."

    Fuyuki got angry, she stood beside and pinched him, but it didn''t hurt so he ignored it.

    The fact that he found her cute when angry was a secret.

    "Well, now that the greetings are over¡ª¡ªwelcome to ¡¶Paradise¡·! Do you want a lunch?"

    "Please get us something recommended."

    "Take these seats then!"

    The maid waitress guided them to bar-like counter seats in the back of the store. Those seats made it look even less like a caf¨¦.

    And across the counter, in a place that looked like the kitchen, was a dandy old man who looked like a barman.

    "Welcome... are you Rui''s friends?"

    "Even his voice is like that... is this really a caf¨¦?"

    "Don''t be so rude to people you just met, Brother. Well, certainly I can see a lot of bottles with liquor there."

    "Ahaha? certainly, the only thing here that''s caf¨¦-like is Rui-san."

    Even she agreed with that opinion, and naturally the barman-like owner ignored it.

    "Hey, Rui¡ª¡ª"

    "Yeah, the order is two lunch courses, dad."

    "...got it."

    The owner gave up on defending his caf¨¦ and started cooking. The daily menu for the lunch course was made depending on the day''s mood, this time it was omelet with rice, salad and soup.

    Taiga observed the owner cook with finesse (honestly, it didn''t suit the store) from his counter seat.

    Renjou''s ate only Japanese food so western food was a rare thing for him, his eyes looked sharp like raptor''s because of hunger.

    Rui brought them wet towels, and water which they drank right away.

    "Dad might look like that but his cooking is really good, so look forward to it okay?"

    "Is this your home Rui?"

    "Yup, that''s it. We run it together the three of us, mom, dad and me. That''s the owner and the chef, Saionji Jyugo."

    The siblings bowed to Jyugo who just raised a hand in greeting because he was busy cooking. That moment, the two of them decided in their hearts¡ª¡ªto call him Master.

    Since there were no other customers, Rui decided to sit by their side as well¡ª¡ªthe order they sat in was, starting from the right; Fuyuki, Taiga and Rui ¡ª¡ªand they engaged in silly conversation for a while longer.

    The dishes lined up in front of them not only looked delicious, but in fact were delicious.

    Fuyuki gobbled everything up, and Taiga who got three refills was also satisfied. After a meal they enjoyed a cup of tea.

    "Why aren''t you commenting on the fact that it''s Japanese tea?"

    "It''s Rui-san''s hobby?."

    "It messes up the shop''s atmosphere doesn''t it."

    For some reason, his little sister insisted he did that, though she might have been so harsh because her brother''s eyes were glued to the maid''s ample bust.

    Its seemed like Master went to prepare things for the evening in the back, there was a stylish atmosphere with only the three of them left in store.

    He talked friendly with Rui whom he just met a little while ago.

    Taiga was drawn to her and didn''t hold back. She acted like a proper, neat and clean, humble maid and she was hilarious at the same time. Even though it was mismatched, it added to her charm and beauty instead.

    If Fuyuki was moon, then Rui was sun. If Fuyuki was winter, Rui would be spring.

    They were polar opposites, but because of that they complemented something each of them was missing.

    "...I see, that''s how it is."

    "Did you say anything, brother?"

    "No, nothing. By the way, what are we going to do now? Moving in isn''t done yet."

    He checked the situation on the terminal, it seemed like carrying in large luggage went slowly, and it was taking more time than expected.

    "Hmm. If you want brother, we can visit the school. Because we didn''t come to school for a week after enrolling, we should at least say hello there."

    "Hmm that may be so, I guess it''s bad for freshmen not to show up for a week after enrolling."

    Rather than Renjou or Karasuba, the siblings entered the ¡ºKiritou Academy¡» as Tenryo, however, they couldn''t attend because they ran away from home just the other day.

    "Oh, you''re going to school? In that case, this Rui-san will guide you!"

    "Umm, is Rui also a student of Kiritou?"

    "The same cyber department''s freshman, and we''re in the same class too."

    There was more than one school in New City, but everyone wanted to get into Kiritou.

    Vacant seats of two admitted students definitely stood out. Teachers also had no contact with them, that was the first impression they had of them and were definitely bothered.

    "Then, we''ll leave it to you. Let''s go, Brother."

    "I''ll change so just wait for me in front of the store okay?"

    After paying (Taiga paid for all of it), they waited for Rui. While looking at the caf¨¦ ¡¶Paradise¡· that hardly could be called neat, he thought.

    Looks like we''ll be in their care from now on.

    Certainly, the food was delicious.

    He learned earlier that Fuyuki can''t cook, he didn''t know how to cook either. Although eating outside was considered expensive, this store had a reasonable pricing and it was just three minutes by foot from their home. As a bonus, there was a cute waitress¡ª¡ª

    "Brother, if you ogle Rucchan I''ll kill you?"

    "Are you an esper?!"

    His little sister was so sharp it was scary.

    Then, light footsteps and the door in the back opening could be heard, as well as a cheerful voice.

    "Sorry for the wait, Fuyuki, Taiga."

    "Well then, let''s go to school¡ª¡ª"

    After turning around, he was stunned.

    As expected, Saionji Rui was there, her chestnut-coloured wavy hair fluttered in the breeze.

    Her clothes captured Taiga''s gaze.

    She had a camisole and a tank top on, exposing her shoulders, and sensual hot pants that exposed her captivating thighs openly.

    Contrary to the maid clothing she previously wore, it was a perfectly coordinated exposure, and she had a wonderfully exaggerated ''fantastic body''. It was like a poison for his eyes.

    "Please die, Brother."

    "Dange¡ª, wa-wait don''t try to seriously blind me!"

    "Silence. Brother who looks at girls other than his little sister is a bastard that should just die."

    "Fuyuki-san?!"

    Her fingertips aimed at his eyes without any hesitation. Seriousness could be felt from the arm that was thrust at him quietly.

    "Ahahaha, a violence between siblings."

    "This¡ª¡ªisn''t a laughing matter!"

    Even though he was happy seeing her jealous and found it cute, he would like it if she spared him the violence. Because he was trained thoroughly, he found out that would be dangerous if it hit.

    "Leave it at that, Fuyuki. If we don''t hurry up the crowd is going to gather."

    "Grr¡ª... it''s Rucchan''s fault in the first place, but let''s end it here. Because Little Sister is forgiving."

    When he wondered how was Little Sister that tried to blind her brother forgiving, she subtracted her hand for the time being, and Rui took them to the station.

    Since it was a holiday, the station was crowded. In the middle of people like that, as expected the two beautiful girls stood out, and were quite eye-catching.

    Especially when they sandwiched a boy between them as an extra.

    "They''re going to poke a hole in me with their gazes..."

    "Really, how uncomfortable. Little Sister isn''t an attraction."

    "There''s no choice but to give up, is there?"

    ""Don''t want to hear it from the one who stands out the most!""

    Voices of the siblings resounded in wonderful splendid unison.

    Majority of the gazes were those of men, and more than a half of them was directed at her exposed beautiful skin.

    They didn''t complain any more, since it couldn''t be helped, they silently ignored the gazes. they were held up for a moment at the ticket gate terminal, and went to the station''s yard. It was a gateway of the New City, a lot of Kiritou Academy''s students and business district workers used it, so it was extremely large. This incredibly advanced station was managed mostly by drones instead of station staff.

    The exclusive direct line with the school was mostly devoid of passengers because of the holiday, to the extent where the platform was nearly empty.

    "A dedicated line connecting with home. That''s really luxurious."

    "That''s because both the school and the train station were made by Kiritou. Also, there''s a lot of students in Kiritou Academy, so if not for this it would be hard to get to school on time."

    "As expected of Kiritou, that''s really grand isn''t it."

    After waiting a few minutes they boarded the linear train that emitted a loud sound after arriving, and just continued to vibrate afterwards. After stopping in the middle of the station, the linear picked people up and continued to the destination.

    The destination was, ¡ºKiritou Academy Entrance¡».

    Kiritou is currently encompassing many projects, and a lot of them are associated with cyber world. That''s why they made a professional department in high school that specializes in cyber-related things, they develop human resources by using education to get future employees. Speaking of which, more than half of the graduates seem to be employed by Kiritou.

    "Cyber department is in the west block, let''s go."

    Fuyuki walked smiling with a stretched school map on the terminal in front of her. While it wasn''t needed since Rui was guiding them, walking on your own while looking at the map was the best way to memorize it. Taiga also walked while comparing it with the map he expanded the same way.

    "...looks like this school isn''t too easy on the students. Little Sister doesn''t have much stamina."

    "Ain''t that fine. If you''re in a pinch you have a reliable Onii-san to help you."

    "That''s true. Brother, carry me."

    "Don''t rely on me from the get go..."

    Carrying his little sister around the school would be too embarrassing.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ºDon''t want to¡», nor ¡ºImpossible¡», he didn''t neither of these because he was too soft on his little sister. He wouldn''t hesitate to do it if he had to.

    The amount of necessary equipment was considerably larger as compared to other departments, so the number of school buildings it had was bigger. There were much more school buildings in front of them than there were for other departments.

    "How much further do we have to go..."

    "It can''t be helped. Academic affairs building''s in the back."

    Ever since they left the train station, they have passed by five school buildings. Fuyuki who claimed to have poor physical strength started to lose her breath.

    If it goes on he will really have to carry her¡ª¡ªas Taiga thought that seriously, both Rui and the terminal informed them that they arrived at their destination.

    """Excuse us!"""

    They bowed and left the staff room. They closed the door and all three of them sighed.

    "Looks like the principal is on a business trip..."

    "I was unexpectedly nervous?"

    "Hmm, I didn''t think that my sister would be the grade''s top student."

    He thought there will be a need to explain themselves to the teachers, but it was beyond his expectations.

    No, it might''ve been because of his little sister.

    It was simple. Tenryo Fuyuki is a very talented person, she topped the entrance exam this year and was selected as the freshmen''s general representative.

    A freshman general representative is an honour student that represents the entire school year. Going truant for a week after enrolling, there''s no way that wouldn''t be a problem. It seemed like it became a big fuss that involved the principal and every vice-principal from other departments.

    "If it''s like that we were lucky that he wasn''t there..."

    Even Rui, who wasn''t a concerned party like the siblings, was scolded. They could only apologize to her.

    They couldn''t do anything even if they stood there forever, so the three of them left the academic affairs building. After thinking for a moment about what to do, Rui proposed.

    "Since we''re here let''s look around the classrooms?"

    Taiga refused saying not interested, but Fuyuki was curious, so the two of them went towards the specialized classroom and Taiga just wandered around.

    "But there''s hardly anything to look at, eh?"

    It was just a school, everything was brand new and there wasn''t anything special about it.

    Maybe he should have gone with the other two even if he had no interest, Taiga regretted his choice. For the time being he decided to enter some school building out of curiosity.

    The building was completely empty. It looked like it was rarely used, he didn''t really know what to look at in classroom filled with things he didn''t recognize.

    "This, and that, just what are they used for... and... this is¡ª¡ª"

    Between them, was a machine that looked familiar. It was big enough to be barely fit in both hands. It had a shape of dodecahedron with a large number of lenses embedded next to each other on its surface.

    He remembered how to start it, and found the switch by touch. A pale light flowed from the moving lens, and the walls were covered with mysterious space one after another.

    "It''s a holographic projector after all. Even Renjou''s no longer use this thing?"

    It''s no longer necessary because everyone has a terminal with a small projector with them, it was a machine that projected a 3d image in a predetermined range. Some time ago they used this to make a wide range holograms appear.

    But it was a previous generation machine after all. Also, it seemed like it was broken, a loud noise could be heard from it as it projected a hologram.

    Because of that his mood worsened and he tried to turn it off, but then he saw a small girl on the edge of his view.

    "¡ª¡ªJust now."

    It was just for a moment, but it was... an incredibly strange girl.

    A fantasy-like figure, she had fluttery clothes, and if fairies were to exist, she would definitely be one.

    Somehow becoming concerned with the girl''s figure, he chased after her into the back of the school building. Apparently she was a holographic projection since her figure blurred together with the noise.

    He eventually reached the room located deep within the school building. The projector''s power has gone down, and the girl''s figure disappeared in the thin air.

    Obviously, even if he looked around, he wouldn''t be able to find her.

    "...what the hell am I doing..."

    He calmed himself down. To begin with, seeing a whole body of a person projected by a hologram was not uncommon, like the long-distance face-to-face conversations.

    Just as he wanted to go back to the other two, he heard a voice from the room in front of him.

    He wondered if the wall was sound-proofed, since the voice was really faint. Taiga wouldn''t notice it if not for his sharp five senses. He opened the doors a little and looked inside.

    Without any real purpose, he just pressed the door lightly a little curious of the whisper from inside.

    ¡ª¡ªjust a moment later he realized it was the wrong choice.

    "Excuse m¡ª¡ª"

    "Aghhhh come onnnnn¡ª¡ª! What''s with that bald vice principal! ¡º"The first year representative is not coming, what''s happening?"¡» I don''t know either! Do something about it yourself! I''m busy so stop bringing me any more trouble!"

    Suddenly hearing a loud voice Taiga stopped his legs.

    No, it wasn''t actually because the voice was loud, it was because the individual inside was incredibly selfish.

    The voice owner seemed like a ladylike, neat looking female student and as a bonus, she howled loud enough for her voice to reach the heavens. If it turned out to be the fairy-like girl from before, he wouldn''t be at a loss for words.

    The female hologram that disappeared after his projector battery went down, was probably displayed on the girl''s terminal and responded with a deadpan expression.

    ¡´"Master. I am not here to listen to Master''s complaints you know?"¡µ

    "It''s fine, just listen to me for a while. In the first place, the teachers rely on me too much¡ª¡ª"

    ¡´"Master. You told me something similar the other day."¡µ

    Taiga quietly closed the door.

    ".........let''s go back."

    He''ll pretend he didn''t see anything¡ª¡ª he didn''t know who that was, but the person talking with the hologram seemed to have a grudge against them. Seeing that scene by an accident will definitely turn into something troublesome.

    Without making any sound, he left that place. But he couldn''t get rid of those two''s figures from his head for a while.

    "Haa?, unexpectedly it was time well spent."

    "No matter how long I''ve stood here you two wouldn''t come back..."

    "Little Sister got a little bit too obsessed over there... how dreadful, the Kiritou Academy."

    The three of them were back at the central station''s ticket gate at about three p.m. the trip to school and back took them about two hours.

    "Well then, it''s about time to enter the main event of the day."

    "So it is."

    "What main event?"

    "...there''s actually something I kept secret from Brother. It''s pretty important."

    "Mm? Something you couldn''t tell me?"

    "Yes. Actually... I spent too much for our new home, so we don''t have enough to cover the living costs."

    "¡ª¡ªHa?"

    "That''s why, umm... the living expanses prepared by Brother and Little Sister, are in a serious pinch."

    "Ha?! Wasn''t that more than enough for two people?!"

    "It couldn''t be helped! It''s a home for Brother and Little Sister to live in! Little Sister was just a little bit too trigger happy when spending, so no-one will blame her right? You can''t do it right?!"

    "Why are you asking a rhetorical question?"

    "Little Sister is reflecting on her actions, but she doesn''t regret buying that apartment."

    The amount of money Fuyuki and Taiga earned after being separated, was considerably big, but after subtracting tuition, admission fees, and other miscellaneous costs it didn''t give them much room to maneuver.

    That thought passed through Taiga''s head.

    "...oh well, what''s done is done. So, how is the lack of money related to the main event?"

    "To summarize it in few words it would be, introduction teaser for work."

    "An invitation to the part-time work in Elysion?something like that."

    "...a part-time work?"

    Hearing an unfamiliar term, Taiga asked.

    "Come on, hurry up brother. Come this way."

    "Don''t pull me, don''t pull me. I can walk on my own."

    Five minutes later they separated with Rui who said ¡º"Then, see you over there?"¡», and they arrived at their new home. The Drones doing the moving work were gone, but before he could take a good look he was pulled by his little sister again.

    He looked at Fuyuki beside him who made excited noises smiling in euphoria and led him to one of the rooms in their home¡ª¡ªthey stepped into a room Fuyuki named ¡ºDive Room¡».

    There were several illuminated machines inside. A number of cables could be seen on the floor... it was a type of room he has never seen before when he was at Renjou''s.

    "...umm it feels hot and yet cold."

    "What''s with that weird description? I don''t get what you want to say."

    The cooling was attached to avoid overheating of the equipment, it was the first time Taiga felt an unpleasant sense of both temperatures interweaving.

    "Brother, please sit on that chair."

    "¡ª¡ªThis is arclight, right?"

    "Yes. It''s immersion dedicated equipment with a program that sends human consciousness into Elysion, commonly known as ¡ºArclight¡»."

    Generally homes have small sized headgear types of it, but that was a medium-sized machine used by companies.

    A number of wires converged with two chairs as their destination. Feeling like a capsule, it covered the head completely after sitting down.

    After sitting as he was told to, Fuyuki who sat on the chair opposite and directed him how to activate arclight.

    "First, press the power button with your right hand, yes that one. An authentication window will come up in front of you, please authenticate your brainwaves with the terminal."

    Releasing the locking, he proceeded. There were a lot of troublesome settings on the first start¡ª¡ªconnecting it with the terminal, and the personal mental structure authentication¡ª¡ªafter a few minutes all the settings were finally set up, and there was a complete reboot.

    "Now we''re going to dive into Elysion. Are you prepared, brother?"

    "Mm, wait a moment. Let me take a deep breath¡ª¡ª"

    "Counting, 3 ¨C 2 ¨C 1."

    "Wai¡ª, Fuyuki-san?!"

    "Dive start!"

    Together with a surprise countdown attack, Taiga''s consciousness fell into darkness.

    Part 3

    ¡ª¡ªHe saw a light.

    His field of view started to flicker and changed rapidly. And the light came projecting his entire body, projecting the structure of a human named Tenryo Taiga.

    All his five senses together with appearance information like weight and height, all of it turned into data.

    Floating in front of him, was a doll without any distinguishing features.

    Even though it was a human being, the body had no individuality. It had no consciousness, and no features.

    Into it, the individual mental structure was built in.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª Nerve connection start ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    *click* , his view changed.

    While other senses still remained, his vision changed to that of the doll.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª Visual tuning complete, starting auditory tuning ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Hearing followed, and touch after that, other senses gradually switched one after another into those of the empty shell''s, but he still couldn''t lift a finger.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª Mental structure transplant completed ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    And finally, together as his ¡ºHeart¡» was transferred with consciousness, the doll turned into a ¡ºBody¡». The light slowly faded, and all he could see was endless darkness.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª Starting logging into ¡¶Aries¡· structure, passkey authentication start ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "¡ª¡ªEh?"

    Suddenly, his senses became sharper.

    Before he noticed, he cried out, it was only natural since suddenly, both of his feet were firmly attached to the ground. His closed eyelids reacted to the light outside, and convulsed slightly.

    Legs, knees, hips, belly, elbows, he checked all of his senses up to fingertips.

    "...okay.''

    He slowly opened his eyes.

    Fuyuki and Rui looked at him from a super-close distance.

    "Uwaoahhhhh!!!"

    He instantly backstepped with a tremendous force.

    "...now, how many meters did he jump back?"

    "He easily jumped back about five meters..."

    The two beautiful girls commented after seeing him make a leap beyond a limit of human body. But, it couldn''t be helped since suddenly he saw beautiful girls at a distance where their lips touched him.

    "W-wh-why are you so close! You surprised me!"

    "No?, it''s just that Taiga had his eyes closed so I was worried."

    "I wondered if there was any trouble with your first log-in."

    "Ugh..."

    Being told that, he couldn''t talk back.

    Certainly, if he continuously kept his eyes closed they''d worry, especially after he just entered Elysion¡ª¡ª

    "...is this the Elysion?"

    "Indeed, brother. It''s your first experience with Little Sister."

    "Stop saying it like that."

    He retorted to his sister, who grinned like a cheshire cat. Once again he felt uncomfortable in the world he was in now, and he looked around.

    It was a large forest, like one of the ones that were destroyed in the modern times, the large tree trunks that extended above his head no longer existed in the real world, the foliage was blocking the light of the sun.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    Unconsciously, he was at a loss for words.

    It was a scene impossible to find in reality, he couldn''t believe it.

    A breeze shook the leaves, a fragrant smell came from natural plants, sounds of life could be heard all over, he could feel it with all of his five senses.

    "...woah."

    It had felt really realistic. He already had knowledge about the virtual world¡ª¡ªbut he was still surprised by the cyber world that projected itself directly connecting with brain nerves.

    Elysion¡ª¡ªa world of electrons almost everyone used these days. It''s a lifeline of everyone from administration to security, it was even used in investigations and entertainment, it became an indispensable world to everyone. It was like a second utopia from the mythology.

    He walked up to the big tree nearby, and touched it with his palm.

    It had a rough feel of real wood. He put some strength in his muscles, and a piece of trunk popped out.

    *snap*¡ª¡ªhe took the broken piece into his hand, but the weight unexpectedly disappeared. It vanished into thin air, the piece of wood faded away rustling and became small particles. Seeing that he made sure and he said "Right, this isn''t reality after all".

    "Did something happen, brother?"

    "No... wait a moment. I just noticed but, what''s up with those clothes?"

    "Really, noticing it this late. This is not the real world, so wearing appropriate clothes is obvious right?"

    "Mufun", Fuyuki puffed our her chest, her clothing was something¡ª¡ªthat looked like a kimono. Its bottom looked like a dress, it was toned black with red peonies drawn on it, it looked well combined with her glossy black hair.

    "How is it, does it suit me?"

    Standing next to his kimono wearing sister was Rui, her clothing was strange as well. The bottom were hot pants, and the top was a white coat on top of the skimpy tank top. At first he thought it was a normal coat, but it was more like the white clothing scientists wear in labs.

    "...let''s take a hundred step back and ignore the kimono. But why a lab coat?"

    "It''s Rui-san''s hobby."

    "Brother, why are you overlooking the fascinating kimono of your sister. Please compliment it more."

    "No, umm... I have problems commenting."

    In terms of feminine curves, Fuyuki has a terribly sorry figure compared to other girls of the same age. However, a kimono''s fit people without curves. Also, as Fuyuki smiled devilishly it brought out a somewhat roguish atmosphere.

    To put it simply, it was incredibly seductive.

    "Fufufu, this little sister understands everything just by looking at your face."

    "...no, I just admired¡ª¡ª"

    "Oh, did you just self-destruct now? Oo¡ªoh, this siscon."

    "I''m not a siscon!"

    No, no matter how you looked at it, he was a siscon.

    "By the way brother, are you not going to retort in response to your own appearance?"

    "Hmm? My own appearance?"

    "Look, a mirror."

    "...woah, what''s this."

    Rui lightly shook her hand, and a window appeared reflecting Taiga''s entire body.

    His appearance wasn''t that much different from theirs. Mixing black and white, stylish and giving him a freedom of movement¡ª¡ª a long coat with white as a base, and solid black pants.

    "...well, it''s better than having mismatched clothing."

    "That, are you implying Rui-san''s and the others have mismatched outfits?"

    "Are you saying Little Sister''s coordination is cheap?

    "Eh, did Fuyuki make this? I guess that''s fine then."

    "A siscon after all!"

    Rui accused him teasingly.

    He looked at the figures of three people, including himself. There was no sense of unity at all. If they were to appear on the streets with such outfits, it couldn''t be helped if they stood out.

    However, it fit this world¡ª¡ªthat''s what he felt.

    "Well then, let''s go."

    Both Fuyuki and Rui held out their hands, and looked back at him.

    And like fairies, they invited him.

    The moon and the sun, girls in black and white announced the beginning with a smile.

    ""Welcome to ¡¶Aries¡·!!""

    World of those three began.

    A structure.

    Just one of the bubbles that form a vast world known as Elysion.

    It''s a small world formed within another world, it can be imagined as a single leaf of a large tree.

    All structures are connected with the network, it increased to an amount that made it difficult to count them all. There are structures for electronic devices that are connected to the network, that structure connects with the city''s structure, and that connects with a larger city''s structure, which in turn connects with the province''s structure, even the country is connected to the world''s structure.

    And what''s most important, is to maintain control of all these structures somehow.

    The lifeline controlling New City, its structure, which is also responsible for controlling structures of all personal terminals.

    National, private... it has various administrators.

    That''s the structure ¡¶Aries¡·.

    It''s a huge structure the largest company related to cyber world, ¡¶Kiritou Group¡·operated. Rumour said it has something to do with the power supply for the new city. Rumours said you''ll be shot if you reveal anything about it, it''s a structure that has some kind of secret function.

    "...hey, ¡¶Aries¡·, why is it like this? Did they play around too much?"

    "Not at all. There are good reasons for this."

    "If the structure is just left alone, the bugs and viruses will just appear within, and since it''s so large, the amount of viruses will be big as well. It''s enough if administrators scan the small structures periodically, but it''s not enough for a large structure like this?"

    A large structure has a large system that needs to be managed, and it could not afford a chance of being stopped. And it''s too large of a burden for administrators to eliminate all of the bugs.

    "And thats where, an idea was proposed to make this large structure into a game."

    "A game?"

    "The structure doesn''t use all of it''s computing power at all times. Since all structures are connected to the network, the excess computing power can be used somewhere else. So a game world was created that''s maintained by the excess computing power which focuses on fixing the bugs and eliminating viruses."

    "So the companies gather players and ask them to help eliminate bugs. Also, the players pay a monthly fee for it, so it''s killing two birds with one stone."

    Fuyuki''s and Rui''s explanation seemed to be a simplification of a bit more complicated issue, but it was roughly correct. Using the excessive computing power wouldn''t make sense unless a large number of outside companies connected could use it as well.

    This ¡¶Aries¡· is a new era''s massive multiplayer online game.

    "More specifically, how do the bugs look like?"

    "Well, that depends on the structure. But generally they look like an enemy ¡ºTo be hunted¡»."

    "So, how does that lead to the part-time job?"

    "Although it can be done only with permission of an administrator, there''s a bounty set for boss-class monster bugs. You get e-money for defeating it."

    "Qualification is given depending on your rank and your achievements in Aries so far. Since Rucchan is one of the qualified people, Little Sister and the others are also eligible if they register as a group with her."

    "...that, doesn''t that disadvantage Rui?"

    "Not really?, a qualification holder can''t do it without at least two more people. And the reward is divided equally among the group."

    "So unless you have suitable people in your group you can''t go, huh."

    "Correct. Since we''ve just invited Brother, it would be a little bit too reckless to already go for a bounty, so let''s have you gain a little bit of experience."

    "Okay... so, where are we going now? Training field?"

    "Something like that."

    The three of them walked through the forest feeling a light crispy sensation under their feet. They entered the deep darkness, the dazzling light was obstructed by the trees leaving only occasional rays of light.

    He wondered for a moment if there was another way to move instantly if this wasn''t the real world¡ª, but it seemed like there was no easy way to get to their destination as they moved on foot.

    "U ?mm, it was somewhere here... oh, there it is, Fuyuki."

    "Hmm, yeah, it''s just right for the first opponent."

    "¡ª¡ªeh, wai¡ª, what''s that?"

    *zuzuzu*... sound was transmitted through the earth, it had a somewhat heavy vibrating physique. It didn''t try to hide its existence as it moved slowly between the greenery, a pink glowing mucus dripped from it.

    "...a huge earthworm?"

    "Without a doubt."

    Even though he kept it to himself, he thought that a more than three meter long earthworm was not an earthworm at all.

    It''s something that should be called a mutant or a monster.

    "Well then, please go down there and defeat it."

    "That''s impossible meine Schwester! I don''t want to touch it!"

    He couldn''t, he wouldn''t do it, it was beyond the boy''s common sense.

    "It''s alright, the worm is a bug that''s one of the minor small fries. ...but it certainly is an organism you don''t want to get too close to."

    Fuyuki and Rui also felt a similar physiological aversion. He would rather slaughter a hundred rats rather than do that.

    "Then brother, GO!"

    "At least give me a weapon!"

    It was a reasonable request. He can''t just go and defeat it with his bare hands, this boy, won''t even consider doing that for a second.

    "Doesn''t Brother have a weapon installed in his terminal already? Please don''t underestimate your little sister."

    "I mean, how do I take it out?"

    "Please imagine it. The weapon you usually use."

    "Imagine, huh."

    "Somewhat like, as if you pulled out a legendary sword."

    "Sorry, that''s too difficult to understand."

    "Oi, just go already! Rucchan!"

    "Sir, yes sir!"

    He was strongly pushed by the two who walked behind his back, after being pushed by two girls his body rolled forward.

    The worm has noticed the sound (it didn''t have eyes so it couldn''t see) and looked behind.

    "U?mm, a nice weather, isn''t it?"

    After a few seconds of standing stiff, the worm opened its mouth agape. Although he thought it had no teeth since its body was soft, it seemed more like a snake than an earthworm.

    There were sharp pointed fangs made to bite and cut people''s flesh. There was an incredibly thick liquid dripping from them!

    *click*, a switch deep within his body was flipped.

    He reached out to the realm of his conditioned reactions.

    Sensing the enemy''s hostility, his body responded with its inhuman reflexes against the threat.

    He stretched out his empty hand, and clenched the handle that appeared in it.

    As the enemy''s neck approached, he jumped up to the worm, and while reaching half-way he slashed it feeling as if he cut mud, he instantly followed-up and cleaving the worm and bisecting it.

    In Taiga''s hands was a one meter long Japanese sword, classified as a nodachi.

    It had a characteristic wavy blade crest.

    In his left hand right next to it''s cutting edge, was a sheath.

    "Wow."

    "As expected of Brother."

    *kachin*, together with the sound of sword being sheathed the worm faded away turning into particles of light. Quick draw¡ª¡ªthe sword drawing skill beyond this dimension.

    "Amazing! It was amazing Taiga! I didn''t even see that cut!"

    Rui clung to him excited, she grabbed his shoulders as she trembled and shook him. He didn''t mind if she was impressed, but he wanted her to stop because his brain started shaking.

    Taiga stared at his hands as he shook, looking at the nodachi in its sheath.

    It appeared as his subconscious recognized the prey in front of him¡ª¡ªthe weight he has continued to wield when he was at Renjou''s. Confirming it, he unsheathed the sword.

    After seeing sunlight reflected on it''s sharp edge, he looked up at Rui.

    "How is it? How did it feel to use an attack-configured program Rui-san made?"

    "...an attack-configured program?"

    "Interfering with bugs and viruses, a special program made to eliminate them. Taiga''s and Fuyuki''s are specially made by Rui-san, normally you would have to buy one from management. It''s a high performance program."

    "Rucchan is an excellent creator, she can make a program more capable than ones made by the management. Brother''s sword and Little Sister''s design were configured by Rucchan."

    "Oh, so that''s why the blade looks like this."

    The nodachi he showed her previously via the communication channel¡ª¡ªits appearance was similar to his beloved sword ¡¶Tenryuu¡·. But that sword was made out of ultra-rare materials, and it should be impossible to reproduce. The weight and texture would be different.

    "Well then, now that you have a weapon, let''s start the crash course. This time take that thing down."

    "...eh?"

    His little sister''s finger pointed at the scenery, there was a huge mantis in the spot where the worm was before, and behind it there were a few more animals wriggling. Five in total.

    "They''re all small fries, so do your best."

    "...ugh¡ª"

    He ran somehow losing his motivation, jumping into the flock of disgusting monsters and poised his sword.

    "Taiga''s amazing. He wasn''t even grazed as he took them down."

    "Obviously, it''s Brother."

    While looking from the distance as he rampaged with his sword like a storm, Fuyuki proudly praised her brother while puffing her chest. She grinned at her best friend who couldn''t take her eyes off the battle ¨C the hunt.

    In the centre of that storm, was a boy who used the attack-configured program for the first time just fifteen minutes ago.

    Every time he swung the sharp blade, the monster''s head or body was cut. He was as fast as if he was the wind himself, the thirty animals that were there in the beginning of combat were reduced to half the amount within a minute.

    "Normally, the movements made by using virtual body in beginning are sluggish aren''t they?"

    "Such common sense doesn''t apply to Brother. His motor skills were abnormal to begin with."

    Virtual body was the physical body people operated in Elysion. In the first place, its performance and appearance was based on the mental structure implanted into the doll and became their bodies¡ª¡ªin other words, the appearance changed together with the real one. The virtual body''s movement capability was also corrected slightly depending on the structure.

    "¡ª¡ªHow cool?."

    Rui muttered, words leaked from her mouth.

    That was, pure envy.

    Bypassing the difference of gender, a feeling like that reached her heart.

    It was like a glitter of something you get in the end after doing hard work.

    ¡ª¡ªThat''s why, she yearned for something like that.

    The two watched Taiga vigorously bisect the last animal.

    "Brother, it''s about time to end. It''s about time for that."

    "Mm? Is that so?"

    His little sister told him after he subdued about two hundred monsters cutting them relentlessly. Although it wasn''t necessary since it wasn''t reality, he swiftly cleaned his blade of impurities out of habit before sheathing it.

    Although the insects were disgusting, as expected he no longer felt anything after the kill count reached three digits, somehow he felt at ease repeatedly cutting down disgusting organisms.

    "Killing monsters... seems quite fun."

    While he took down huge drones before, taking down a biological monster felt different from destroying a mechanical drone.

    He looked up at her, she had a clear expression, and the same as his, crystal clear sky-blue eyes.

    ...he felt that about two hours passed ever since he started hunting. It was about time the day started to end. But there was no change in the sky above them.

    "Is the passage of time not reflected on this world?"

    "No, there is a night here. It''s just that time flows differently."

    If the time was synchronized with the real world, the students who go to school during weekdays would only play during Elysion''s daytime. In order to correct such inequality, the flow of time changed at random, it was a system that reminded people of a completely different world.

    "Sometimes it''s ten hours from dawn till dusk, the other time it''s thirty. It occasionally wrecks the body clock. Quite interesting right?"

    "That''s new."

    I see, the sun didn''t set yet because it was still daytime in this world.

    "We confirmed Brother''s ability. Looks like we can already start actual combat tomorrow."

    "Yupyup, it''s better than expected."

    Being openly praised, as expected he got embarrassed.

    Deciding to end it for the day, the three of them left Elysion.

    Log out¡ª¡ªin order to return to the real world, they had to pass two procedures. Transferring the individual mental structure from the virtual body to the real one through a terminal, and transferring the consciousness to his body.

    Because they would be vulnerable during that process, the three of them walked to a safe place.

    "From tomorrow onwards we''ll be fighting boss monsters whose strength doesn''t compare with those small fries. Make sure you''re prepared, brother."

    "The ones from today were strong enough."

    "Ahahaha, both Rui-san and Fuyuki will be there so it''ll be alright."

    They walked through the forest searching for the light.

    He got used to their bizarre white coat and kimono, it no longer felt lacking in harmony.

    The fact that it looked good on the girls in the first place worked towards it too.

    "We''ll be leaving the forest soon. Brother, prepare yourself okay?"

    "Mm? Is there anything there?"

    "It''s not like a huge bear will attack the moment we leave the forest. Just enjoy the view."

    Just as he was about to talk back protesting her roundabout way of speaking, suddenly they stepped out of the forest.

    At the first glance he couldn''t believe it,

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    In just an instant, he turned speechless.

    Spreading out below, was a magnificent land.

    Abundant amount of flowers growing, a lot of lakes moistening the earth, soft light pouring down¡ª¡ªall of it combined into a beautiful artwork.

    The murmuring water, branches and leaves swaying in wind, breathing of various organisms¡ª¡ªvarious sounds interwove creating the ¡ºWorld¡», building a miniature garden.

    "Awesome."

    That''s all that came out.

    Even if you looked for one, you wouldn''t find a place like this on earth, a land of fantasy. Just that, gave this world a meaning to exist.

    "...................................."

    That scenery, in that moment that felt like a miracle, the vast golden land, he burned it into his eyes.

    "...log out process, start."

    His little sister''s voice in the background reached his ear, but he still continued to look at this world.

    Before his consciousness dimmed eventually, the scenery continued to be projected into his retina.

    Part 4

    "Now, Brother. Let''s check out our new home."

    "...somehow it feels like something is overflowing inside, but let''s leave that for now."

    After safely returning to his body, what awaited him was a very realistic talk.

    Six hours passed ever since moving in was completed, finally their new life started.

    "First, the living room and the kitchen right. There''s no use for the kitchen since neither Brother nor Little Sister can cook, but I wanted to prepare everything in detail."

    "This certainly is detailed. It has all the cookware, and isn''t that the newest kitchen system¡ª¡ª, aren''t we low on money because of things like this?"

    "Shut up please."

    In the living room there was a sofa four people could relax on at once, a TV type holographic projector, there were also table and chairs for four people to eat meals at.

    Having already seen the dive room, they headed to their private rooms next.

    Taiga''s room reflected a Japanese style room. The only furniture were a wardrobe and a sturdy desk, in addition to that, there was a sword rack for both ¡¶Tenryuu¡· and a training sword.

    Fuyuki''s room was a western style room that was complete opposite of her brother''s. Although most of the electronic devices were in the dive room, this room had some back-up and private-use equipment.

    But, there was a problem. He couldn''t find a bed there.

    "Fuyuki, what about the bed? Did you forget to order one?"

    "Do you think Little Sister would make such a mistake? There is one in another room."

    Why is it in another room? He thought for a moment, but the question disappeared from his mind after he opened the next room.

    He was led to the last room remaining. There was one piece of furniture that occupied nearly half of that room, moreover, there was only one purpose it could be used for.

    "It was hard to find one this big, but, I somehow managed."

    Spread in front of him, was a sea of brand new sheets.

    It was about five times the size of a typical bed families had in their homes, the mats would make anyone who saw them want to plunge in. But he denied its existence.

    It was commonly known as a king-size bed.

    "...ei, meine Schwester¡ª. What is this?"

    "It''s a bed."

    "No, that''s not what I meant."

    "It''s Little Sisters and Brother''s love nest."

    "Sorry. But Onii-chan doesn''t understand."

    For some reason he couldn''t process what she said. Couldn''t like ten people sleep on it together? But no matter how he considered that unnecessary thing, reality didn''t change.

    "Well then, let''s go to the next room."

    "Wait, please explain this to me properly."

    His heart cried out beautifully.

    "Why... why something like this...?"

    After his first time to experience Elysion his brain seemed exhausted, they went out and ate dinner outside. After he got rid of tiredness by soaking in the bath, what was waiting for him, was an absurdly big bed.

    Please wait in bed¡ª¡ªsaying that Fuyuki went to take a bath.

    "A brother waiting for his little sister to get out of bath... what''s up with this situation..."

    He rolled around while holding his head, as if his own words hurt him. No matter how many times he rolled the disgraceful thought wouldn''t disappear.

    About five minutes later, he stopped rolling and lied flat. Just as he slowly got up from the bed¡ª¡ª

    "I need to run away. Some towels spread out on the ground are eno¡ª¡ª"

    "Sorry to keep you waiting, Brother."

    Unfortunately, he decided too late.

    Hearing a voice from behind, he realized it was too late to escape. Forcibly breaking through¡ª¡ªwas not something a siscon like him could do, his attempts at persuasion probably won''t get through.

    But, that situation was bad, he needed to find another method or talk his little sister out of it.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    The moment he looked back, he froze.

    "Y-yo-, y-yo-y-you-"

    "Are you a broken radio?"

    "NO! That''s not it, what''s up with that outfit?!"

    "...it''s Little Sister''s pyjama isn''t it?"

    "Isn''t that just underwear! How is that pyjamas!"

    Fuyuki came out of the bath with her long black hair freely falling, and she wore a see-through negligee that showed everything.

    It felt more like it emphasized her black underwear and immature limbs rather than hid them, moonlight illuminated his grown-up sister''s figure.

    "Hu-hurry up and wear something!"

    "There''s no need for that. This is enough for Little Sister."

    "Worry about the people watching you! Have some shame!"

    "There''s only Brother here. Also, Brother, you say that but your eyes are glued to your little sister''s body."

    Only after he was told that, he noticed he was staring at Fuyuki this entire time.

    It should have been easy to look away from her, but for some reason he couldn''t do it, her slender limbs gave off an impression of unripe fruit and added seductive atmosphere to her body.

    Snickering¡ª¡ªas her smile affected his heart like a poisonous flower, Fuyuki crawled on top of the bed.

    The springs creaked as she came closer to him crawling on all fours. Her pupils reminded him of a carnivorous animal before it''s prey.

    "Now... Brother, let''s sleep together."

    "Wait, calm down. On a bed this big there''s no reason for you to approach me!"

    "Won''t it be warmer if we stick together?"

    "If that''s the case then put something on, woaah?!!"

    "¡ª¡ªToo late now."

    *whump*, a body hit the bed softly.

    On top of the bed, his little sister straddled him with a suspicious smile on her face.

    Maybe it was because she took a bath, but her white skin was cherry blossom coloured, her moist, long black hair flowed over her white shoulders, and her body exuded an aroma as sweet as honey obscuring his thoughts.

    Both bewitching and childish, creating a miracle piece of art.

    "Nnn..."

    She slowly pressed weight on him. She clung to him tightly, and he could feel her life''s warmth conveyed through the thin fabric.

    "You''re so warm... Brotherr..."

    With a childish voice, she whispered into his ear.

    Her voice penetrated his brain through the eardrums, making his heart beat faster.

    "Fufufu. Your heart, it beats really fast. Did you notice that?"

    "H-hey Fuyuki. Wha¡ª¡ª"

    "It''s completely different than how you were as a child. A tough wonderful body..."

    "¡ª¡ªI beg you stop talking!"

    A finger like white porcelain entered his clothes and stroked him slowly from his belly up to his chest. Her hand wriggled around smoothly like a snake, his body''s temperature increased in the places she touched.

    "Why? Isn''t Brother''s heart pounding so hard? Isn''t it going *dokun dokun* bouncing happily?"

    Her captivating breathing and enticing voice assaulted his ear.

    No good, I don''t know why but it''s getting dangerous!!

    If he goes along with it, something he cannot undo will happen¡ª¡ªhis intuition sounded an alarm.

    Even though he understood that, no strength returned to his exhausted body.

    "We''re going to school for the first time tomorrow. It''ll be bad if we don''t sleep properly right?"

    She said after teasing him for a little longer.

    But Taiga wondered if he really will be able to sleep properly.

    Slowly erasing all thoughts from his mind, he forcibly closed his eyes.

    But the curtains of the night, didn''t come down yet.

 Volume 1, 2 - First Suppression

    Volume 1, Chapter 2 - First Suppression

    Part 1

    *chiririririririri*

    "...fuahh?"

    A loud sound filled the air, the moment he realized it was the sound of an alarm clock, his consciousness quickly returned.

    "Morning, huh."

    He felt the sleepy atmosphere after waking up early, and stared at the sun that still hasn''t risen fully yet already brilliantly illuminated the sky.

    A soft and warm body lying on the inside of his arm moved in response to the his words.

    "Geez, really, sleeping with me..."

    He stroked the head of his little sister, she had a very cute expression as she slept.

    Even though she was the perpetrator who disturbed his heart last night, the new environment has tired her out and she quickly fell asleep.

    But, Taiga whom she was hugging the entire time, was endlessly troubled by her sweet breathing and ended up falling asleep only just before morning came.

    I''ve only slept for about an hour... well, I''ve gotta do my best.

    He left the bedroom while making sure he doesn''t wake her up.

    Even though it was April, the morning air was still chilly. Taiga went through the living room heading to the large garden that was a privilege which came with the top floor, it was already the second day but he still didn''t feel like his new life properly started.

    "Fuwa?, it''s a good weather."

    After going outside in his training uniform he looked around from the fifteenth floor. The area was entirely comprised of tall buildings, no matter where he looked it was all the same.

    He breathed in deeply, inviting cold air into his lungs.

    One, two, three... counting in his mind he woke up all cells in his body, shifting into a state where he could show the best performance within three seconds.

    "Okay, let''s start the morning training."

    Drawing the practice sword from its sheath, Taiga started working out in the tranquil morning.

    "Good morning, Brother. You''re lively right after waking up."

    "Nn? Ah, Fuyuki. Good morning."

    His little sister''s voice welcomed him after he did around a thousand swings. It was already daytime, the city that spread out below was full of people and vehicles.

    He sheathed the sword, pausing.

    "...that''s a lot of sweat, there''s even steam rising."

    "Well, it is training. So, what time is it now?"

    "It''s seven o''clock sharp, we don''t have to hurry yet. Please take a shower, Little Sister has to dress herself as well."

    "Got it."

    Certainly, it was cold. Fuyuki who put on a jacket on top of her negligee returned to her room.

    After wiping his sweat with a towel, Taiga headed straight to the bathroom. He threw his d¨­gi1 in the washing machine, set it to to mist mode before pushing the start button, and quickly washed away the rest of the sweat in the shower.

    It took him five minutes to finish his shower.

    After changing into the uniform that was prepared beforehand, he fixed his hair while looking into the mirror.

    "...this uniform looks like it would suit just about anyone."

    A gray shirt, black pants and blazer, a tie. He already knew it, but it was a really ordinary uniform.

    He fixed his tie to make it look better, and moved away from the spot. When he checked the time on the terminal, it was a quarter past seven.

    "Looks like I took a little too long."

    If they want to eat breakfast they''d better hurry. Thinking that, he grabbed the bag and headed to the front door hurriedly.

    "Sorry, I made you wait."

    "Little Sister changed her clothes just now as well. Let''s go."

    Waiting with a bag in her hands was Fuyuki ver. school uniform.

    A dark navy blue blazer and a ribbon instead of a tie in the centre of her chest accenting it. Dazzling thighs could be seen between the black kneesocks and the skirt that was about 10 centimetres above her knees.

    Also, a brand new hairstyle, her long black hair were split in two and tied with red ribbons.

    "I tried going with twin-tails. How is it?"

    "Mm. It really suits you."

    He openly complimented her, thinking that the long black hair and twin-tails combo had a great destructive power.

    "I see. A great destructive power, is it."

    "...do you read minds or something?"

    "Yes, but only Brother''s."

    "Eh, seriously?!"

    His sister said something really scary.

    Since they didn''t have time to dilly-dally, they left their home side by side, and after confirming that the auto-lock worked they boarded the elevator.

    Part 2

    It was still too early to go to school, so there weren''t too many people on the road. Rather than towards the station, the siblings went together towards the caf¨¦ ¡¶Paradise¡· for the moment.

    "Welcome, you two. Breakfast is ready."

    Rui greeted them after the ''closed'' tag was taken down and the door opened. She wore the same uniform as Fuyuki, but its size was much bigger. Her big breasts were highly accentuated, and a glimpse of her sexy legs could be seen.

    "Umm¡ªTaiga, it''s a little embarrassing when you stare at me like that..."

    "Ah, no... ouch!"

    "Brother... do you want me to hollow out your eyes?"

    Fuyuki''s shoe strongly pressured his toes. Although it was stronger than he expected from her small body, it wasn''t that effective on Taiga''s trained body.

    "Yahaha, Fuyuki really loves Taiga a lot doesn''t she?."

    "Of course. However, Brother is different. He has guts to stare at other women."

    "It was unavoidable!"

    Whether Fuyuki or Rui, the two of them were unusually beautiful girls. What''s wrong with admiring their uniforms.

    Taiga somehow calmed down the pouting Fuyuki, and they sat on the counter seats of Paradise, it was still in middle of the opening process. The order they were sitting in was the same as the previous day. From the right, Fuyuki, Taiga, and Rui.

    "Come on, eat up. It''s all made by the beautiful Rui-san!"

    Rui urged them to start eating.

    "...oh¡ªdid you really make this by yourself Rui?"

    "It''s really delicious. Honestly, this is unexpected."

    "Grr, what''s unexpected?!! Fuyuki!"

    Rui''s image was somewhat outdoorish, she was surrounded by a cheerful atmosphere. That a girl like her could make a brilliant pot-au-feu with golden omelet and plenty of vegetables was quite unexpected.

    "That''s because I''m the only daughter of caf¨¦ owners, I was taught how to cook. But I''m still not at a level where I can work in the caf¨¦''s kitchen."

    The two of them, decided to eat breakfast at ¡¶Paradise¡· receiving Rui''s invitation.

    Last night, after they came back from ¡¶Aries¡·, Fuyuki contacted Rui through her terminal and that''s when she was approached with a proposal - ¡º"Why don''t you come by for breakfast tomorrow?"¡».

    Her purpose was to get a third party evaluate her cooking. Even so, the siblings being conveniently offered a breakfast, took her up on it instantly.

    "Yeah, it''s delicious."

    "Really? I''m glad."

    The three of them ate the breakfast, and cleaned everything up at 7:45. After being shouted at by Master who was preparing in the back, they headed towards the station.

    Unlike the other day, the platform was full of people in Kiritou Academy''s uniforms waiting in a line. The column of people who commute to school first increased, and soon after it started decreasing at fast rate. Before long the trio boarded the linear. To avoid overcrowding, the train had a seat arrangement like a bullet train allowing a number of people to sit down, but there was no dissatisfaction since the trains came every two minutes.

    Inverting the seats to face towards each other, three of them sat in place for four people. Fortunately, no one particularly complained about the last seat.

    "You two, these will be your first classes. Cyber department''s teaching speed is fast, so pay attention."

    "Little Sister has room to spare."

    "I... well, I''ll manage somehow."

    Although Taiga''s grades weren''t great, they were not bad either. But after enrolling in Kiritou with this department selection, he couldn''t let his guard down, since it''s mainly people with good grades who gather in cyber department.

    There are three departments¡ª¡ªthe general studies department, sports department, and cyber department. The cyber department had capacity for five hundred students per grade, and the other two had capacity for two hundred and fifty each Sports department was based on recommendation, and grades were irrelevant in it. The students with good grades chose either the general department or the cyber department. The majority of prospective students come to Kiritou in order to enroll in the cyber department, in fact there was usually only around two hundred and fifty people smart enough enroll in it.

    In the first place, Taiga only entered the Cyber department because he followed Fuyuki.

    "Somehow you say... that''s unsettling."

    "Little Sister is there so it''ll be alright. Also, Brother is good with memorization, so I think if he uses it well, he can get average grades."

    "What about Rui''s grades?"

    "Fufufu... you better not¡ª¡ªunderestimate Rui-san! Studying is her speciality."

    "You really can do anything."

    "Anything, is going too far."

    As they chatted, the linear reduced its speed as it arrived at the destination. Upon exiting through the ticket gate the wave of uniforms divided into three.

    The south was general studies department, east was sports department, and the three of them headed west. The third years'' building was the closest to the station, second years'' was in the middle, and inevitably, the freshmen had the longest distance to walk.

    It was like a baptism that awaits first years upon entering.

    "This way, hurrey hurrey."

    "Why are you excited..."

    "Let''s go, Brother."

    He looked at his little sister that was pulling him, and made a few steps. He wondered if she was excited with the first day of school as well¡ª¡ªand so, suddenly students around them started to make noise.

    "Mm?"

    "What is it?"

    The siblings looked around, all of the students were looking in the same direction.

    There, was a girl with characteristically long black hair on whom their gazes were focused.

    "Good morning, everyone."

    The figure and features of the girl replying to their greetings one by one with a modest and faint smile was one that reminded you of a yamato nadeshiko. Even her way of walking suggested she was brought up very well.

    "Who is that?"

    "Cyber department''s third year, Kiritou Haya-senpai. She''s the one who serves as student council president for this term."

    "I see, student council president huh. But even so, a ¡ºKiritou¡»..."

    "Ahahaha, right? She''s the only daughter of Kiritou group''s head."

    In short, she''s a genuine ojou-sama. However, what concerned Taiga was neither the fact that she was the ¡ºStudent council president¡» nor ¡ºKiritou¡», it was her appearance.

    "...similar, heck, is that the same person...?"

    He was reminded of the previous day. The woman who was complaining to a hologram in an empty classroom.

    But the personality and image she gave off was completely different. Although the appearance was beyond the level of identical twins, and more like two peas in a pod. But, since the image was far too different, Taiga wasn''t confident about it. As he observed her while tilting his neck, Fuyuki who stood next to him grabbed his ear strongly and pulled.

    "Brother, don''t ogle cute girls whenever you see them."

    "Y-you''re wrong, wa¡ª, that''s not how it is so don''t pull!"

    "I recommend not to chase after that person?, because she''s always busy with a lot of things."

    "Rui, don''t just say whatever you want!"

    Their classroom was on the first floor of the first grade building, and located in the corner. After opening the door, there were desks and chairs for twenty-five people, a mixed group of girls and boys in uniforms met up inside.

    "Good morning, everyone¡ª!!"

    Rui greeted everyone in high spirits, almost everyone returned the greeting, their gazes shifted to the siblings right after that.

    Of course, the duo would stand out. Coming to school a week after enrolling, in addition to that, one of them was a girl with twin-tails.

    "...Little Sister is not a freak show."

    Fuyuki hid behind Taiga''s back. Rui seeing her best friend like that clenched her fist tightly.

    "Ah? everyone! I''ll introduce them to you, the classmates who are going to learn together with us from today onwards!"

    Rui pushed the two of them in front, and raised her voice. Her chestnut fluffy hair bounced as she drew the attention of their classmates.

    "This cool boy over here is Tenryo Taiga, and this insanely cute girl is Tenryo Fuyuki. They''re twins that have beautiful sky-blue eyes as their characteristic. Because of some circumstances they ended up coming to school a week late. Please do get along well!"

    "...ah? we were just introduced, but I''m Tenryo Taiga. This is my little sister, Fuyuki."

    "Greetings."

    Her manners never change, no matter what, even when she was pushed in front (to be exact Fuyuki already hid behind him).

    Taiga started a conversation.

    "We don''t really know our left from right since we just moved here, but my little sister and I would like to get along with you all."

    "...yes."

    After the self-introductions were over, the classroom filled with applause that started with Rui. For a while already, the gazes gathered at Fuyuki who was hiding behind her brother''s back (it was mainly boys), seeing such a beautiful girl people moved closer little by little.

    Seeing his little sister Fuyuki being very reluctant to speak, Taiga sighed with relief. Although he was anxious to come to such a special school, seeing that. he was relieved.

    A lunch break after four periods finished in the morning.

    The siblings went up the stairs, heading to the roof of the first year''s building. Rui went ahead and waited on them with a thin blanket spread out. In their hands was a number of bread products bought in the store.

    "Welcome back?. the preparations are done."

    "I didn''t expect the store would be this crowded. This little sister was really tired out there."

    "Even though I was the one to buy it."

    It was close to the second year''s building, in other words, the store and the dining room was located between first year and third year buildings. The crowded state of the stores wasn''t odd, there were around seven hundred and fifty students in total from all three cyber department grades, it would be crowded even if only half of them used it.

    While bathing in April''s warm sunlight, the three of them ate their lunches as they sat on the blanket.

    Taiga ate his food heartily, and Rui ate her well balanced boxed lunch (self-made) and spoke.

    "Oh, right. I didn''t hear from you, so I wondered, what are you two''s specialized courses?"

    "...specialization?"

    "Courses?"

    Swallowing loudly the last portion, and drinking tea from a pet bottle. Fuyuki finished eating her BLT sandwich and started listening.

    "Didn''t you know there are cyber-related specialized lectures?"

    "Of course I know that. It was the very reason I entered this department."

    Fuyuki seemed like she knew about it beforehand.

    "Yup. First years need to attend these courses, and I hear that selection ends today."

    "Eh, is that so?"

    Taiga was surprised hearing that bit of information.

    "Last week was a trial period, they guided everyone and allowed them to experience a lesson. Rui-san has already decided. What are you two going to do I wonder?"

    Specialized courses are held three times a week, they were split between Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In other words, the siblings are to attend specialized courses after the break ends.

    "Little Sister knew about it roughly, but the subject application hasn''t been delivered yet."

    "Are you going for the same course as Rui-san? It seems like it''s worth taking."

    "Since there''s no time to choose, that''s how it''ll be."

    "Then, what are you going to do, Taiga?"

    "...going for the same one is impossible. I definitely won''t be able to keep up."

    Taiga chose cyber department because of his little sister, the one more appropriate for him would be the sports department. Applying without having basic knowledge was quite dubious.

    He expanded the terminal in a hurry, entering the Kiritou Academy''s structure, skimmed through the scattered windows and looked at the student assistance syllabus, but¡ª¡ª

    "I don''t get it at all. What''s the difference?"

    "Is that alright, brother? Shall Little Sister choose for you?"

    "No, I have to decide on my path by myself. In the end, it''s my responsibility."

    Part 3

    He spent the rest of lunch break thinking about it, and in the end he decided right before the deadline.

    After finishing his lunch he parted with the two girls and headed towards the building where specialized lectures were given.

    Unlike normal lessons, specialized course lectures involved using various equipment, and there was lot of it. That''s why, a total of eleven buildings were assigned for specialized courses to use.

    "...of all places, it had to be here."

    The place Taiga arrived at by relying on the map, was the same one in which that Kiritou Haya person was screaming at the day before. It was exactly the same classroom. It was soundproofed as well, it was the same one without a doubt.

    The afternoon lessons were supposed to start soon. The main school buildings were quite noisy, but this place was eerily quiet. He checked if it was really the place specialized course was held at, but once again, it matched.

    Even though he hesitated, there was no choice. He gathered determination and opened the door.

    "Oh?"

    There was one female student inside. She sat on an unusual classic couch and closed her terminal''s window. She made a slightly surprised smile.

    There was no doubt this time, it was the yamato nadeshiko he saw in the morning.

    ...now that he got that far it was impossible to pass it off as a coincidence. He thought that, but he still continued.

    "Umm... student council president Kiritou-senpai, was it?"

    "Yes. I''m serving as student council president in this term, my name is Kiritou Haya. What''s your name?"

    Kiritou Haya had a modest smile on her face, one that was impossible for the girl he saw yesterday.

    No matter what, she didn''t look like the girl who screamed at the hologram yesterday.

    "Umm, is there anything on my face...?"

    "Ah, no. I''m cyber department''s first year, Tenryo Taiga."

    "Tenry¡ª¡ª ehem, are you the freshman who was absent for a week without notice?"

    Her appearance changed for a split second.

    "Uh... did it cause a problem for the student council after all?"

    She was bothered by the fact that her appearance changed for a moment, but Taiga was the one who was more worried about it. He didn''t care about himself, but he wanted to avoid any bad rumours about Fuyuki who was the grade''s top student.

    "Really, I would lie if I said it wasn''t a problem at all, but the circumstances were such that you were sick, teachers were also convinced."

    Of course, the illness was a flat out lie.

    "By the way, did Tenryo-kun come here for Takiha Yori-sensei''s lecture ¡¶Configuration of virtual personality¡·?"

    "Yes. It''s this classroom, isn''t it?"

    He chose a lecture that was on the very end of the syllabus, looking as if it was hidden. Although he chose more by intuition than anything else, he didn''t think it would be this room, and that the student council president would be there.

    "Yeah. It is without a doubt this classroom... but in fact, this lecture is no longer there."

    "Ha?"

    No longer there... even though it was listed in the syllabus?

    "Takiha Yori-sensei who was appointed this year was supposed to be responsible for this lecture, but due to various circumstances it was impossible. The fact that it didn''t disappear from the syllabus is a system mistake."

    "Then, why are you here, Chairman?"

    "I was waiting here because there are students like Tenryo-kun who would come here by mistake. In fact, there were a lot of people who came here throughout last week."

    "Hee¡ª, so that''s how it is... eh?"

    That''s when he thought of something and began feeling uncomfortable.

    It''s about time the countdown for classes to start begins. No students will come even if she waits like that until the last minute, at this rate she won''t get to class on time either.

    There were other suspicious things about this as well.

    First of all, she doesn''t need to wait. A notification on school''s page is enough. Also the reaction she had when Taiga identified himself¡ª¡ª

    So that''s how it is after all, it can''t be but... really?

    The yesterday''s ranting, and this pristine yamato nadeshiko definitely don''t match. But, it still bothered him.

    For this, a straightforward approach would be the best, and so he asks her a question head-on.

    "Umm, Senpai? In fact, I came to this classroom yesterday around noon. Although I''ve seen Senpai at that time¡ª¡ª"

    "Didn''t you mistake me for someone else?"

    She denied it completely. Although it might be like she said, he felt it had a feel of ''Don''t step into it any further''.

    "No but, weren''t you shouting something about the vice principal?"

    "You''ve got the wrong person. You saw wrongly. There''s no use, so go back¡ª¡ªplease go back right now."

    Feeling vulnerable in such situation, the student council president repeated those words as she broke in cold sweat. However, her tone was no longer one of a yamato nadeshiko. Although it felt as if he was accusing her of something¡ª¡ª

    ¡´"I''m back. Master... oh that''s rare, got a visitor? Though it''s the person who showed his mug here yesterday."¡µ

    Haya''s terminal suddenly lit up. With a timing as if she did it on purpose, a fairy girl appeared in the mid-air... and everyone froze.

    "Uwoah?! The hologram from yesterday?!"

    While Taiga was surprised by the girl''s sudden appearance, Haya cracked a crystal clear, good looking smile.

    "........................eh, Iora? Yesterday, what?"

    ¡´"Yesterday at 3:45 o''clock this person looked at Master when she was about to bawl. He''s been there for three minutes."¡µ

    "...seriously?"

    ¡´"Yah, it''s true."¡µ

    *creak* *creak* ...like a machine, the girl cautiously faced towards him.

    "........................"

    "........................"

    "...u-mm, the lecture for ¡¶Configuration of virtual personality¡·, wasn''t it?"

    "No no. It couldn''t be, since that''s impossible."

    Where does she intend to start over from.

    Haya faced away from him and held her head for a moment. It took her a minute, when she faced him once again she had an expression indicating she gave up, and a forced smile.

    "That''s how it is¡ª¡ª, it''s just a fa?ade, an especially thick one! Got any complaints?!"

    Suddenly she had a desperate coming out.

    "I don''t really mind it... but is the Student Council President fine with that?"

    "Ah shaddup! In the first place I was in trouble because you guys were absent without notice for a week! If you are sick then bring in a medical certificate! Also Iora! I told you not to appear in front of others!"

    After being exposed she changed too much.

    Because Taiga saw her like that before, he wasn''t that surprised, but when he thought it was the same person who had an appearance of a lady-like yamato nadeshiko in the morning, he got scared somehow.

    ¡´"Since I was already seen, I decided not to give a shit."¡µ

    "It''s not up to your discretion to decide that! If I knew it would be like this I would have cut the terminal''s power off!"

    ¡´"Wasn''t it not Master the one who instructed me to project from the terminal?"¡µ

    "Sharrup! If you reported to me that you were seen in the first place, such a thing wouldn''t¡ª¡ª!!"

    Ignoring Taiga, the Student Council President faced the hologram and completely dropped her fa?ade/

    The hologram girl spoke indifferently while hardly changing her expression, he felt a little uncomfortable seeing that.

    The clothes are weird, and she somehow doesn''t feel like a human... what''s this?

    That''s when an electronic sound of the school''s bell started ringing. It seemed like afternoon classes have started.

    "...hey, so what now?"

    The specialized courses were essential. If he doesn''t decide on a course it would be determined early that he has to repeat a grade. It was inevitable that he had to select a specialized course in a hurry, but it was better than repeating a grade. He launched the terminal in a hurry looking for a different course.

    "What are you doing?"

    "I''m looking for another specialized course instead. I can''t afford to stay here any longer¡ª¡ªokay, I''ll be there in a minute if I run at full power."

    ¡´"It''s better to stop that now."¡µ

    Just as he was about to run after checking the location, he was stopped by strange words and looked up from the window that displayed the syllabus and met the fairy girl''s gaze.

    "...U?mm, why is that no good?"

    ¡´"Together with yer application for that specialized course, analysis of yer academic ability based on entrance exam results is considered."¡µ

    "My academic ability... that information, where did you¡ª¡ª"

    A window floated in front of her answering his question. It was detailed confidential information from the school''s database on ¡ºTenryo Taiga¡», it was projected there as if it was something everyone had access to it.

    "Ah, hey, Iora! What are you doing! It''s the confidential information I use when I''m in a pinch!"

    "Wait a sec! Is this your doing, fa?ade woman!?"

    ¡´"I recommend this specialized course instead. It''s very basic and easy to understand."¡µ

    With a flat emotionless voice and no expression, like a noh mask. The doll-like girl ignored Haya''s protests and approached him while gripping a window in her hand.

    "...it''s surprising. To think this girl would get involved with others on her own... yeah, it''s a good opportunity, if I use this guy..."

    While giving off a somewhat unpleasant feel, Haya started grumbling to herself, and it seemed like she got a little interested in Taiga. His knowledge about cyber related things was no better than that of an elementary schooler, and he somewhat treated a hologram and the window as a material that had existing substance.

    AI... a presence incorporating virtual personality in an electronic form, was it.

    AI¡ª¡ªan auxiliary program that acts like support for humans and does various chores for them in the cyber world. It''s very popular among working people, a cyber world''s existence projected from the terminal¡ª¡ªhe was reminded of the lecture he heard in the class today.

    Not a human...

    But a virtual ¡ºPersonality¡», should have been unable to talk back¡ª¡ª

    However, this girl, even though it wasn''t much, it felt like she had emotions. Although it''s so little, it could be classified as a margin of error by a human.

    In any case, her suggestion was worth considering. As he tried to check out the window immediately, it suddenly disappeared before he could touch it with a finger. So that was it. It was just a human error to assume she had emotions.

    "That''s unnecessary, Tenryo-kun."

    He heard Haya''s voice. Even though he knew her true nature, she made a graceful smile trying to deceive him as she proclaimed that, and deployed another window in front of Taiga.

    "¡¶Configuration of virtual personality¡· course permit? Wasn''t it supposed to be gone¡ª¡ª"

    "That was a lie."

    Being told that, he was at a loss for words. Haya quickly ran up to Taiga, grabbed his hand and made it contact with her terminal''s window, handing over the permit. *pikon*. A procedure transferring brain wave information started together with that sound.

    "Yes, the registration''s complete¡ª¡ª"

    "Wai¡ª, what are you doing!?"

    Even though he tried to move his hand away in a hurry, a word ¡ºComplete¡» was already displayed on the window. And as he tried to correct it immediately after, it said ¡ºIt''s been five minutes since classes started¡», and didn''t accept the correction.

    "Fufu... just as planned."

    ¡´"Master¡ª, what the hell ya doin''?"¡µ

    "Rejoice, Iora. I have found a perfect person to help with the experiments."

    "Wait, wait! What do you mean by ''just as planned'' and ''experiment''!"

    The dispute started to go in a direction he didn''t understand, but he couldn''t pretend not to hear it.

    "Shaddup. Just be quiet and get along with this girl. Specifically, chat with her."

    "A fragmented explanation like that isn''t enough!"

    "You can hear the full story from Iora. I''m tired so I''m going to sleep."

    Haya decided to ignore Taiga''s words, and with a great momentum, she curled up like a cat on the couch and closed her eyes. Peeking out from the flipped skirt was her thigh, it gave off a really voluptuous feeling.

    "...do you usually go to sleep in front of a guy you just met?"

    ¡´"That''s because Master works every night to improve Iora."¡µ

    Taiga was amazed by her selfish behaviour, he looked at the girl who floated beside him and their eyes met.

    ¡´"Shall I tell ya ''the full story''?"¡µ

    "...please do."

    He bowed his head obediently. There also was an option of not listening to it, but he agreed and listened to ''the full story'' over the next ten minutes, and then Taiga summarized the complex contents in his head.

    "...in other words, you are the new model of AI that fa?ade has developed, ¡ºCode Name: Iolite¡» nicknamed Iora, and unlike conventional AI''s you can learn emotions."

    ¡´"That''s roughly correct. Master said that to learn emotions, I''ve to engage in conversations with people."¡µ

    "And I was the one chosen as your conversation partner?"

    ¡´"It looks like dat''s what Master intended."¡µ

    He thought it would be more dangerous when she said it was an experiment, but it was surprisingly decent. ¡¶Configuration of virtual personality¡· was already written firmly on his timetable, and it didn''t allow him to change it.

    "No matter what I do, I can''t quit this specialization... no choice, let''s go along with it."

    Even though it felt like it was just what Kiritou Haya intended.

    "But, an AI learning feelings... I don''t really get it, but... drones developing feelings? What is that fa?ade trying to do by developing such a thing?"

    "To be precise, Master is one of the developers. The other one has disappeared, it was Master''s best friend, Asumi Aoko¡ª¡ª."

    Iora''s words were suddenly interrupted.

    As he glanced at her suspiciously why didn''t she say anything else, he noticed her staring in empty space and her pupils disappeared.

    "...Iora?"

    A dark emptiness of abyss could be seen in her darkened eyes. Faint light within her eyes looked like a number of circuits.

    Because he had a bad feeling, he reached out to touch her. But since it was a hologram his hand just slipped through the presence that had no substance in it.

    But that action caused some noise in the projection and it focused once again.

    ¡´"...apologies. An unexpected error appeared in the operation area, I''ve dealt with it."¡µ

    "Error? Are you all right?"

    ¡´"The internal scan result indicated that there is no problem. There''s no need to worry."¡µ

    He thought about waking Haya up, but if she said it''s all right, then it was all right.

    "Is that so. ...but what about this lecture? Is there no teacher in charge of it?"

    ¡´"No, in the first place that assumption is wrong. ¡¶Configuration of virtual personality¡· is a specialized course Master prepared fer herself."¡µ

    Iora opened a window with Kiritou Haya''s name, and changed it to roman alphabet. The sequence of characters gradually changed as she traced it with her finger.

    In other words, from KIRITO HAYA to TAKIHA YORI.

    "........................it''s beyond the level of ''abusing power''."

    What the hell was she playing at by making a fictional lecture, is what he wanted to say but didn''t. He moved his line of sight and stared at the AI: Iolite. Her clothes looked very fantasy-like, thin and fluttery, and she tilted her head cutely.

    ¡´"Do ya want to talk?"¡µ

    "Well... I have nothing else to do."

    While sighing, Taiga sat on the couch preparing for a conversation.

    For about an hour and a half Taiga enjoyed his chat with Iora. During that time, the yamato nadeshiko continued to sleep on the couch.

    Part 4

    After he rejoined Fuyuki "How were your lectures?", even though he was asked that, he didn''t answer and evaded the subject. In fact he just talked with Iora the entire time.

    And after they returned home, the two of them dived in the Elysion for the second time.

    "Now then, let''s go at full force!"

    "From now on it''s the real thing. Little sister is excited for it as well!"

    Taiga stood on a hill sandwiched between his remodelled-kimono wearing little sister, and Rui who was wearing a lab coat.

    The empty sky of ¡¶Aries¡· structure was fiery red. The view they have seen with their eyes was also dyed crimson.

    "...so, from today onwards we''re going to fight strong guys?"

    "Yes. The target Little Sister chose for suppression is this guy."

    What appeared in a window looked like a scarlet flaming ball about two meters in diameter, its name was written overhead.

    "¡¶Kathart¨ª?rio¡·? I''m sure it meant ''purgatory'' in greek, right?"

    "Ahh... yeah. That''s its name."

    "You really know a lot Taiga. But isn''t it a pretty minor name?"

    "There was a guy in Renjou who knew a lot.... so, if we defeat this guy we''ll get a reward, right?"

    "Yes. The amount was previously set too low, but recently the management increased the bounty. That''s why we''re going to aim for it now."

    "Are we going to walk?"

    "No way, that would take a week. We''re going to jump, are you prepared?"

    "Eh, wait, what¡ª¡ª"

    "System code, move!"

    Just like his first dive the other day, he was caught by a surprise attack that twisted his body in the space. He felt like a cat that was put in a washing machine. Together with his human thoughts, his vision began to dim.

    When his brain stopped shaking as if he was in a roller-coaster, the three of them were already in a different location.

    It was a barren land with traces of green in just a few places. As they walked, the temperature they felt gradually increased, he reviewed the data Fuyuki presented to him as they did so.

    "It looks like it''s a virus whose entire body is made out of flame. But its strength is split into seven."

    "...yeah, that''s why it''s named ¡¶Kathart¨ª?rio¡·."

    The seven burning sins, the place for purifying those sins. The purgatory.

    "What''s this, ¡ºRaises virtual temperature and interferes with environment¡»? Amazing? it''s really hot. It feels like it''s over 40¡ãc."

    "It feels like staying in bath at all times."

    "Wait, is there even such a thing as temperature in this world?"

    "There is. It''s one of the elements to enjoy, but."

    If it goes up to the level of feeling pain, the sense is shut off. For the same reason, the pain sensation was turned off as well. Otherwise it wouldn''t feel like it was a game.

    Also, stamina of the virtual body was displayed in percentage. The accumulated value can be subjected to interference of bugs and viruses, and the virtual body collapses when it reaches 100%.

    Because the electronic body is made with special technology by suppliers, it takes time and money to reconstruct it. That was another risk to consider in addition to connection fee, it''s another benefit professional artisans from cyber-related companies get from developing games.

    The three of them walked weakly until they finally arrived.

    "...so it''s that."

    "...yup, that''s it."

    "It''s amazingly red..."

    All of them took a deep breath at the same time.

    """It''s hot!!!"""

    It was already past the level of ground burnt by summer heat. They shouted angrily towards the scarlet flame sitting in the centre like a king.

    The crimson ball had no nose, no eyes, and no mouth. A red skull icon indicating it was a Boss Monster floated above its head.

    "Let''s beat this guy within three minutes."

    "If we continue staying like this we''ll collapse."2

    They didn''t sweat because of the temperature. But it was unpleasant.

    Sensing as their skin baked up, their thinking was blurred because of the warmth and the visibility¡ª¡ªeverything was swaying because of the heat radiating from the ground.

    Then, Taiga noticed a change in the scarlet ball of fire.

    Shrunken ball of flame started to expand, increasing its volume a few times. Swirling inside amplified as the flame searched for a solid form to use. After mutating for several seconds, it turned into a scarlet lion.

    "Lion, is it. The symbol of the first sin ¡ª ¡¶Pride¡·."

    Its mane burned fiercely like the sun, it had a strong and flexible physique.

    Kathart¨ª?rio''s first form, ¡¶Lion¡·.

    Taiga made a single step forward towards the growling flame lion while unsheathing his sword. He stood in front while clothed in a contrasting black and white outfit.

    "It''s a good opportunity, Little Sister will be the vanguard this time."

    "Rui-san will do it too, otherwise her body will dull!"

    Taiga admired his Japanese clothing-clad little sister''s arrogant smile, and the girl clad in a white coat that twirled around while laughing happily. He hesitated for a bit before, but now made a smile full of confidence.

    "Who will start first?"

    "Let''s start with Little Sister. Rucchan, you''re up next."

    "Okay¡ª!"

    Then, the two of them held out their weapons.

    *snap*¡ª¡ªFuyuki presented a folding fan with bright autumn leaves printed on it. It made a good harmony together with the black kimono that had red peonies printed on it, her figure was like that of a dancer.

    And what Rui has presented was¡ª¡ª

    "...pebbles?

    "Non non, this is creative stone."

    Kimono-clad Fuyuki being armed with a fan made some sense, even though it wasn''t a weapon at all. However, for this (fake) scientist''s weapon to be stones... it should be at least something like drug ampoules.

    "Let''s go, Rucchan!"

    "Aye, aye?"

    When Fuyuki raised the fan to as high as her chest, balls of light appeared. There were two of them, they looked like blue crystals. They sparkled like a prism¡ª¡ªand she smashed the two of them with a sloppy fan folding technique!

    They shattered like glass, and the shining particles melted into the atmosphere. Then, as the sky turned cloudy above the flame lion, a snake made out of water appeared from the clouds and attacked the lion.

    That was Fuyuki''s attack-configured program¡ª¡ª¡ªElemental Sphere.

    It was a small program constructed in a spheric shape, the program was activated by its destruction. Because it''s small it can hold one property each¡ª¡ªIf red, then a flame. If yellow, then lightning¡ª¡ªand it wasn''t just manifestation, it was a program rich in diversity of uses.

    The water snake entangled the lion''s body binding it. But together with the lion''s roar, it flared up and stretched, burning out without a trace.

    Purgatory had a strong skin. However his body was suddenly pierced by several sword blades. The swords that hit it like arrows, they were launched from the stones Rui had between her fingers.

    Rui''s attack-configured program¡ª¡ª¡ªCreative Stone.

    It was a unique program of Rui who''s an excellent creator. It''s a program that makes a small stone change into weapons like spears or swords after being thrown, it had a lot of applications like crushing target under a huge weight for example.

    "¡ª¡ªEh, what''s that. Isn''t that unfair?"

    That''s the impression Taiga had.

    It was an irresistible ranged attack. Although Taiga who was an onlooker described it as ¡ºUnfair¡», their weapons were in entirely different league.

    "What is it, Brother. Is there anything about Little Sister that you''re dissatisfied with?"

    "Nono, your weapons, their appearance and performance have nothing to do with each other!"

    "Please don''t group normal weapons and Rui-san''s special programs together. Ah, by the way, Taiga''s one has a special setting as well you know?"

    "Seriously?"

    "Seriously. Your weapon has elemental attributes just like your little sister''s. The more familiar you get with it, the easier it will be for you to use them."

    So it can release something like that as well¡ª¡ª, crossed Taiga''s mind.

    The attacks of the girls seemed to work, and Kathart¨ª?rio howled as electromagnetic waves passed through its body. The body of the lion started to shake and returned¡ª¡ªto being a flame ball.

    Purgatory violently started bubbling as it changed. The figure it changed to, was a snake with ten to twenty heads and clad in blue flames.

    "The Second sin ¡¶Envy¡· huh. Isn''t its model Yamata no Orochi..."

    "With this much heads it turned into something disgusting."

    "In any case, let''s end this quickly. It''s too hot."

    The second out of seven, there was still a lot ahead.

    After that was a three-headed wolf, a pegasus, a nine tailed fox. The three of them defeated the mutated forms of ¡¶Purgatory¡· one after another. Next, was a body with six eyes.

    gyuwan ¡ª¡ª¡ªThe black flames radiated towards the crimson sky, and bullets of black flames hit the earth.

    He used all of his strength to draw the nodachi and stood in front of the girls protecting them by cutting the black flames.

    The burning flames dominated the sky. An enormous fly clad in black flames, that was the incarnation of the sixth sin ¡¶Gluttony¡·.

    They were attacked by loud noises from the four blade-wings flapping loudly several times already. The sweeping flames increased gradually, Taiga crouched and lowered his sword.

    "Damn, come down here already, so I can cut you down!"

    "Come on, calm down, it''ll be down soon."

    "Together, Rucchan!"

    Using her remaining strength Rui created multiple creative stones around them, and Fuyuki produced wind by destroying a white sphere and sent the stones into the sky, above the lord of flies who was hovering in the sky.

    Composite creation¡ª¡ª¡ªthe creative stones connected with each other while in circular motion and doubled their mass, and fell from above as a huge mass of steel.

    The fly crashed from the sky screaming in agony. Dealing a final blow Fuyuki destroyed three yellow balls summoning lightning from the sky.

    Thor''s Hammer.

    Fuyuki and Rui boasted of having the strongest anti-air powers.

    "...another flashy technique."

    "It''s a bold move that can''t be used continuously. But it worked pretty well."

    Rui responded to him.

    The ¡¶Gluttony¡· burned with a pale flash of light while it was stitched to the ground, and started shaking like a heat haze.

    And after black, silver appeared.

    The silver flame dissolved the steel mass in an instant, and its appearance hardened.

    Eight feet supporting its huge body, both of its arms were steel blades made to reap lives, a three pronged spear at the end of the tail.

    The seventh sin ¡¶Lust¡·¡ª¡ªa scorpion.

    "It''s finally the last one. I was getting tired of it."

    "Brother, please don''t let your guard down. The final form is the strongest."

    It''s alright¡ª¡ªjust as Taiga was about to say that, he lost the chance to do so.

    The silver scorpion that seemed to have dull movements, suddenly jumped as the speed of a bullet.

    "Uwoahh?!"

    As the heavy strike of the sickle swung down on him, he instantly poised with the nodachi to block it. A tremendous impact of the blow hit the arms supporting the nodachi and Taiga made a pained expression.

    He slashed the scorpion in response, however, it was repelled by the silver armour together with a high-pitched metallic sound.

    Hard¡ª¡ª

    Surprised by a completely different sensation from before, Taiga was blown away after receiving the strike.

    "That''s why I told you not to let your guard down!"

    Taiga rolled for a moment on the ground and managed to rebuild a defensive posture after getting up. Fuyuki destroyed two white balls with a fan, and even though a few wind blades attacked the enemy, they dissolved after reaching the enemy''s robust armour.

    So this will not work either, Fuyuki clicked her tongue as she thought. Silver flames were rising from the entire body of ¡¶Lust¡· up to the tip of it''s three-pronged tail.

    As fire bullets increased in size and density rapidly, Fuyuki and Rui moved together.

    "Rui-san will create an opening, so try to break it down!"

    "I leave it to you!"

    Fuyuki created three elemental spheres that had brown colour, and Rui threw a total of eight swords.

    The swords were unfortunately deflected by the armour, Fuyuki''s fan waited for that moment and struck. The ground under the scorpion swelled and a fist of rock suddenly disrupted its balance.

    Immediately responding, bullets of silver flames that were shot enlarged.

    The lump of fire missed the two people and landed far behind them, a fierce flame that erupted was enough to cause a scorching wind, and the flame spread widely.

    "Kuh... it has amazing power doesn''t it. If we were hit directly we would be done for."

    Rui said that while grimacing as the hot air hit her entire body.

    While the sixth form, ¡¶Gluttony¡· used fire bullets, the power of this form was on an entirely different level. With such insanely destructive power, the electronic body would collapse from a single blow.

    This is a virus Boss Monster. An enemy powerful enough to have the bounty on its head manually increased.

    "If it''s like that, to win we have to make our move first!"

    Rui rushed forward to stop it before the next bullet is shot.

    She lightly avoided the sickle that was swung down, leaped on the scorpion and hit the back of ¡¶Lust¡· with creative stones. The blades that were thrown in the gaps between the armour pierced brilliantly, and exploded all at once on Rui''s signal.

    Kathart¨ª?rio''s cries resounded. And the armour changed mutating like liquid, sharp thorns appeared on its back covering the gaps.

    "Wai- isn''t that a foul play?!''

    The moment its only weakness was found, it was covered. The next blades that followed were repelled. At the same time it moved its body like a snake and ¡¶Lust¡·''s sickle attacked Rui who had nowhere to escape in the mid-air.

    "RAAaah!

    The sickle and Taiga''s sword clashed, and after a few seconds of struggling ¡¶Lust¡·''s big frame was blown away. The scorpion retreated in the middle of a dust cloud, its howls reached the heaven, from the entirety of the steel body silver flames emerged.

    "Are you two alright?"

    "Rui-san is alright. You were the one who intercepted the strike, are you okay Taiga?"

    "It''s not like it was a direct hit. Heck, this guy, isn''t he completely different than the forms up until now?"

    "From now on it''s the real thing. The opponent is a virus with a price on his head, it won''t go down that easily."

    A speed that didn''t suit such a big frame, intense flame bullets shot from its tail, a robust armour repelling attacks... it was clearly very strong. Sins from the first up to the sixth seemed like they were just a sideshow compared to it.

    "If possible we should avoid close combat but... if we get hit by those fire bullets, we''ll be done for."

    "Yes. Also, it looks like we can''t take too long."

    Fuyuki responded to him and opened a window. The status of the virtual body was displayed on it, the value corresponding to the body''s interference increased at a fast pace.

    "Apparently this hot air isn''t just unpleasant.. It also continuously interferes with virtual bodies damaging them."

    Fuyuki''s total value was already over 30% even though she wasn''t hit even once. If they keep receiving damage, at this rate they may collapse in few minutes.

    "First we need to do something about that armour. How about we destroy it with a simultaneous attack?"

    "Let''s go then... here I come!"

    Just after Fuyuki and Rui decided on the next course of action, ¡¶Lust¡· charged at them with tremendous speed, all three avoided it spreading out in different directions. Fuyuki and Rui sandwiched it from both sides, and Taiga jumped, diving on it from above.

    "Haaaaaaaaa!!"

    Violent sparks appeared as steel met steel. Not allowing it to recover, Taiga continuously dealt powerful blows with his blade. They were evenly matched, and his fast slashes were intercepted by a flaming blade.

    Taiga had a number of weapons, like superior skills, a strong physique allowing him to deal heavy blows, sixth sense obtained during his military service¡ª¡ªand the greatest weapon of them all was, this speed.

    Godspeed reflexes going beyond the limits of the human race, dynamic vision surpassing common sense allowing him to see rifle bullets in slow motion, overwhelming agility allowing him to reach top speed instantly.

    But even if he used them to the very limit, he couldn''t endure forever and was blown away by a strike that came from both sides at once.

    Just as planned.

    "Thanks for buying us time! Let''s go, Rucchan!"

    "It''s the special move!"

    The two of them gathered strength and launched their attacks at ¡¶Lust¡· who immediately tried to pursue Taiga.

    Red, blue, and white, Fuyuki struck the three orbs, and Rui threw two spinning massive Creative Stones into the sky above. The stones divided into tens of smaller fragments, and then further into hundreds of fragments, and each one of them changed into a sharp lance.

    "Parallel Creation ¡¶Spear Rain¡·!"

    A rain of spears poured down one by one, and repeatedly pierced the armour one after another.

    But even though many holes appeared in it, the broken parts continued to recover. That''s where Fuyuki followed up.

    "Triple Spell ¡¶Steam Flare¡·!

    A shining white ball emerged on ¡¶Lust¡·''s back and burst expanding all at once. An attack bearing a name of steam explosion hit the silver armour causing intense vibrations and pushed the spears further in.

    "¡ª¡ªBoom it goes?."

    Rui who stopped moving snapped her fingers, and a huge amount of spears immediately exploded.

    The armour that was crumbling because of multiple shockwaves, turned to pieces together with that explosion.

    Kathart¨ª?rio''s ¡¶Lust¡· form''s screams filled the air loud enough to rupture their eardrums.

    The fight wasn''t over with just the destruction of its armour, as if having a grudge on them, all the flames converged on its tail.

    But¡ª¡ªit was too slow.

    Taiga rebuilt his posture and started running towards the scorpion with his sword pointed to the ground. His body reproduced the movements he did tens of thousands times before without thinking and performed,

    "Renjou sword technique, fourth form¡ª¡ª"

    That moment, an anomaly appeared on the sword''s blade. It began buzzing with electricity and flashing intensely. A purple flash dyed the space around Taiga.

    He raised his wrists as a blade was swung down on him and cut, disconnecting the scorpion''s sickle at the base, after that he continued slashing diagonally. Furthermore he twisted his body without killing the momentum and swung once again drawing a cross shape!

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡¶Raijyuji¡·!!"

    A skill that allows the user to dodge the enemy attacks while aiming for their weak points with godspeed strikes.

    Twin strike clad in purple lightning easily cut through the silver body that has lost its armour, and disassembled it into four pieces.

    With a scream reverberating in the air, the Boss Monster, virus Kathart¨ª?rio disappeared.

    Silence dominated the wilderness.

    The flames lost their source and disappeared, the uncomfortable temperature went down like it was all a lie. Taiga looked for a moment at the afterglow of the disappearing purple lightning, and sheathed his sword. Together with its cool sound, the time that stopped started to move once again.

    "We won... it''s our first victory, Brother!"

    "Ah, yeah. We won."

    The excited Fuyuki jumped around spontaneously. And he looked at the sunset dyed with the battle''s afterglow.

    "...a win huh."

    "It''s an undisputed complete and perfect victory."

    Rui smiling from ear to ear came up to him and grasped his hand and shook it strongly.

    At that time her large breasts shook as well, moving up and down. His eyes were drawn to them¡ª¡ª

    "Seems like brother doesn''t learn."

    Stab.

    "Gyahh¡ª¡ª!! Eyes...my eyesssssssssss!!

    He rolled on the ground after getting stabbed and blinded.

    After he saw Rui''s breasts at extremely close range he couldn''t help but admire them. It wasn''t reality so he didn''t sense a crisis. In fact, there wasn''t any pain.

    "Ahh¡ªI thought I''ve gone blind... so, what was that in the end? Like electricity or something."

    "That was Taiga''s program, its name is ¡¶Heavenly Sword¡·."

    "It''s not just electricity, it can release things like wind, flames and water as well. In Brother''s case, it seems like with familiar movements it should be easy to get fixed types. ¡ª¡ªWell then! Let''s pick up our reward. Please log out brother."

    "Nn? Is this the end for today? Isn''t there still time?"

    "Nyaah, since it''s our memorable first suppression we should celebrate, there''s a lot of things to prepare."

    "Oh, I see... is the location Paradise?"

    "Yup. Come over around eight o''clock."

    The memorable first battle of the trio ended with a victory.

    Part 5

    A few hours after coming back to the real world, the siblings aimed for ¡¶Paradise¡·.

    "A celebration party means there will be food and stuff right?"

    "That''s exactly what preparations meant. Fortunately the war funds are ample, also the shopping is easy since she''s the only daughter of the store owners."

    "...by the way, how much was the reward?"

    "Five thousand yen for each of us."

    "Eh, seriously? We''re getting that much for just that?"

    "It was reckless to face that enemy with just three of us in the first place, and also because of the virtual body reproduction costs the reward is higher. By the way, the reward is even bigger if it''s a new species."

    With that pricing it was worthy being called bounty hunting. If done efficiently, living just by bounty hunting wasn''t impossible.

    "It was not all used on the party, I passed a lot of money to Rucchan for our future meals in ¡¶Paradise¡·. Although I''m asking you for approval in retrospective, but you don''t mind right?"

    "Not at all. I don''t need any money now."

    It was exactly eight o''clock p.m., the siblings left their home and walked through the city that wasn''t asleep yet. Although it was not a downtown it wasn''t too bright, there was no brightness and huge flow of people that was characteristic to big cities.

    "Welcome, oh, it''s you guys. It isn''t time for kids to walk around now."

    When they entered the caf¨¦ ¡¶Paradise¡·, it completely turned into a bar.

    In a modern atmosphere customers were tilting their glasses, and standing by the counter was Saionji Jyugo dressed like a barman. The last of the caf¨¦ atmosphere that was there during the day completely disappeared.

    "We know. Didn''t you hear from Rui, Master?"

    "Now that you say it, she left earlier. Is there something?"

    "Just a little party."

    Fuyuki followed Taiga and sat on the counter seat naturally. Unlike his little sister, Taiga was used to it and didn''t feel any discomfort.

    "So, where is Rui? She doesn''t seem to be here."

    He could see there was no maid in the bar with a single glance.

    "Oh, it seems like she went out to the town... that said, I thought she was kinda slow not coming back yet, I can''t leave the store and look for her."

    "I''ll go then. Master, do you have a place Fuyuki can wait at?"

    "Our home is above. Customers don''t enter it."

    "Well then, go and wait there."

    Even though Master was there, something still could happen. He didn''t want to leave his sister with people who drank alcohol. Fuyuki guessed her brother was worried, and with a happy face went up instructed by Jyugo. Taiga went out to the city at night to check on Rui.

    Since shopping wasn''t intended for the store but a party. Rui finished the work early and went out twenty minutes ago, she left the store while still wearing maid clothes.

    "A maid walking in the city at night, eh?"

    It was beyond the level of standing out.

    The nearby supermarket is quite far away by foot. If she gets involved in some trouble¡ª¡ª

    "Hey, don''t ignore us? play with us a little."

    "I told you NO! You''re annoying!"

    "I found you."

    On the opposite side of the road, the voice that reached him from between the noise made by cars wasn''t the same as usual.

    What was seen in the light, was a neatly dressed maid with chestnut brown hair.

    She had both of her hands on a shopping bag, and was surrounded by frivolous men who didn''t allow her to move.

    The men surrounding her seemed to be pretty drunk, their faces were tinged with red. One man angrily stretched his hands towards the girl. The moment a hand forcibly tried to grab Rui¡ª¡ª

    "Hey you. What are you doing to my friend."

    Taiga walked through the road cars were driving to and from, and twisted the man''s hand.

    "Ta-Taiga... ?"

    "H-hey Rui. You were late so I came to pick you up."

    "It hurts! Y-you fucking brat! What are you doing!"

    Because he twisted his joint perfectly, it was quite painful when the man tried to move. While the man was acting violently and screaming in pain, at that moment Taiga wasn''t merciful enough to care about it.

    The men around went crazy because a boy suddenly appeared and had their comrade in a hold. One of them who tried to hit him, crashed with the man whose joint was being twisted.

    He ignored the two of them who collapsed like a wall, and said to Rui.

    "Why didn''t you change from maid clothing. You''re a little too careless."

    "B-because if I didn''t hurry the preparations for the party wouldn''t..."

    "...now that you say it, sorry for leaving it all to you. But Rui, you''re a bit too unaware of your own appearance."

    If a girl that cute wore a maid outfit, she would definitely be called out to by men.

    She was scared, her shoulders were trembling slightly. Taiga noticed that and pulled her soft body closer, giving her a hug.

    "Ta-Taigaa?!"

    "It''s alright."

    "...aa..."

    "It''s alright now."

    He repeated those words gently. As if cutting the thread of tension, Rui entrusted her body to him with eyes closed.

    Relieved for the time being, he noticed the men from before act frantic.

    "¡ª¡ªAh, sorry. I completely forgot about you guys."

    "This shitty brat... you better prepare yourself!"

    "I''m prepared. But the ones who aren''t seem to be you guys."

    Simply stating that, Taiga snapped.

    He didn''t know why. But something snapped in him the moment several men raised their hands at Rui.

    Thanks to the self-control cultivated by training, he didn''t beat them up.

    Just¡ª¡ª

    "If you say anything else... I''ll silence you physically."

    He said that to them without any hesitation, and with a spark in his eyes.

    "Guh..."

    Even an amateur without any knowledge could feel his thirst for blood.

    A feeling they don''t encounter in their every day life cooled them down instantly, it was so effective that it made them stop breathing for a moment.

    "...tch, if you have a guy then say so in the first place. What a waste of time."

    Scared of the invisible pressure, the men left with a quick pace. Even though they said that as they left, it was practically a getaway.

    "Come on, let''s go."

    "Y-yes..."

    "Fuyuki is waiting, let''s go back quickly."

    He took the full bag from her hand, and headed towards the intersection in order to pass the crosswalk properly this time. Rui stayed in the back, daydreaming.

    "Yup, let''s go back."

    She ran up to him with small steps, and hugged his arm.

    "Why did you come back linking arms you asshole Brother...!!!"

    "It hurts... it hurts real bad, seriously I''m not joking!"

    "Well then, let''s start celebrating!"

    Rui in her unchanging maid clothing declared and opened a bottle with amber liquid, at the same time as violent punishment was carried out next to her.

    *pann*, *pshuu*!

    "Wapuu."

    "You... isn''t that champagne!"

    "I took one when I was in the store?."

    After that, the party started completely.

    On the second floor of Saionji''s, in one of the rooms, simple sweets made by Rui and snacks that were spread out disappeared in their stomachs one after another.

    After about twenty minutes have passed¡ª¡ª

    "Funyaa? are you done Brotzerrr. Your hand stoppedd?"

    "Ar''ya not gong to eat my cookin???"

    "Why are you two drunk!?"

    Two cute girls were completely finished.

    Let''s say it to avoid misunderstanding ¡ºThere was sake mixed in the drinks!¡» there was no such thing. What the three of them drank was simple juice.

    So why has something like that happened.

    "Getting drunk with just a smell, just how weak are you..."

    They were stimulated with just the alcohol in the air. The two of them got drunk with just the smell released at the time champagne was first opened. Also, why Rui, who should have been used to it got drunk too.

    "Mua?Brozzer don just look at Rucchan."

    His little sister sandwiched his cheeks between her palms, and changed his head''s angle by force. She sat on his lap with her body all reddened and eyes glazed over.

    "A punishmnt smooch fer cheatng Brotzer."

    "Stop stop! A maiden can''t do such a thing, it''s illegal!"

    "Dat''s right? Fuyukii?. Siblings shoun''t kiss?"

    This time it was Rui who came up from behind and clung to him. A big and extremely soft thing pressed his back changing shape.

    "Rui, you too, let go!"

    "Why??"

    He couldn''t even answer because of embarrassment.

    Seeing Taiga distracted by his back, Fuyuki puffed her cheeks. And¡ª¡ª

    "Ngghh?! Amu."

    Chomp, something warm has enveloped his ear.

    "Ouwah! Wai- what are you doing, Imouto-sama!"

    His earlobe was nibbled on with sweet sounds, a tongue extended into it with watery sounds. And it stopped with a loud wet noise leaving a silvery thread behind, which severed soon after.

    "Not bad Fuyukii, den Rui-san too¡ª¡ª"

    "Noo! Onii is Fuyu''s! From head to toess all of it is Fuyu''s!"

    Somehow, she regressed into a toddler.

    "Onii..."

    And for the brother those words were agonizing. In various ways, it was really bad for a siscon.

    The ¡ºFirst suppression commemoration party¡» carried on with such a feel.

    After a noisy while, the Saionji house was in middle of clean-up.

    "Uhh?that was too much champagne."

    "Geez, don''t take products out of the store. I''ll take it from your pocket money."

    "No way?!"

    The cleaning of the store done by parent and child wasn''t too difficult because the siblings weren''t messy eaters. The only exception was the champagne that was ejected when the siblings were playing around.

    "Hey, Dad."

    "Nn?"

    While wiping with a rag, Saionji Rui asked her father who was picking up garbage.

    "You know, am I actually a simple woman?"

    There was a light in her heart, a warm light.

    "Just because I saw someone act a little cool, because I was saved. For such a reason, I got interested in someone."

    She didn''t expect an answer.

    She just wanted to ask someone.

    She wanted someone to push her back.

    And then, her father¡ª¡ª

    "Who knows. For the time being, why don''t you hit and see?"

    Just as she unconsciously wished for, she got a straight answer.

    "...hit?"

    "Whether your feelings are real or not, if you''re anxious why don''t you try actively attacking. Maybe you''ll be able to figure something out?"

    Holding a garbage bag, Jyugo left the room. Rui looked at her father''s back through the window. The crystal clear blue sky was now covered by darkness.

    "...yeah, that''s true. Waiting is something I can''t agree with."

    Her heartbeat started to beat faster and her body temperature increased when she thought about looking at that figure the same way as her best friend did. To check what is the feeling that was sprouting, she gently placed a hand on her chest.

 Volume 1, 3 - Rampage, and a Chance Meeting

    Volume 1, Chapter 3 - Rampage, and a Chance Meeting

    Part 1

    "...okay, done!"

    It was a very warm spring morning.

    The morning weather was good enough to blow away the feeling of heat they experienced in Elysion yesterday.

    On a second floor of caf¨¦ ¡¶Paradise¡·, a store set up in the corner of the New City, in Saionji''s kitchen.

    A girl with a glamorous body wearing a pink apron, struck a guts pose after finishing the masterpiece she was working on from six o''clock in the morning.

    Her father has already entered the first floor and started preparations, and her mother was working in her office room taking care of food orders.

    Usually Rui was still sleeping at six o''clock in the morning, but today she somehow woke up early while rubbing her eyes sleepily.

    "It took me an hour. I''m not sure if there''s enough of it, but... it''s pretty good, even if I do say so myself."

    Rui folded the apron and started cleaning up.

    It was currently seven o''clock in the morning, the siblings would come soon. She had to prepare everything before then.

    "Fufufu."

    His face when he first met her, she remembered the surprised and admiring expression he had when he saw her dressed as a maid.

    The crystal clear sky-blue eyes her best friend had, and she was so envious of. When she thought about his eyes that were the same as his little sister''s, her heart started beating faster.

    He wasn''t used to the opposite sex, and his reactions were cute every time. And yet, he seemed wild and harsh when he gripped his sword, as if he was a sharp blade himself.

    Every day has gotten more fun ever since he came, the time she spent with him was brilliant.

    Well then, it was time to start another enjoyable day of hers¡ª¡ª

    "Uuu... my head hurts..."

    "Hey hey, stop staggering. Here, hold onto me."

    "I''m all wobbly... Brother, piggyback please."

    "That''ll be the last resort."

    The siblings walked under the blue sky to meet up with their best friend for breakfast.

    Because of Fuyuki''s drunkenness and going to sleep early, Taiga could get a proper refreshing sleep until it dawned.

    However, now the little sister was completely unlike the refreshing morning sky, she held her aching head and had a faintly blue face, and walked while leaning on her brother.

    In other words, she had a hangover. Even though she didn''t drink anything.

    "To think Little Sister was so weak when it comes to alcohol... Onii, piggyback."1

    "Did you regress into an infant again?"

    "Haa... Brother, right, it''s Brother. I need to be careful."

    "I don''t really mind if it''s ¡ºOnii¡». Didn''t you call me that way in the past?"

    "I don''t want to. It''s childish."

    He wondered if she wanted to appear older. She did look really young, so he could understand that feeling.

    While he supported her small body (by the way, they looked like a student couple making out from a third person''s perspective) they walked together for about five minutes, and arrived at Paradise later than usual.

    "Welcome Taiga... eh what? Why is Fuyuki...?"

    "Ah just a little something. Sorry, but if you could get her something light for breakfast it would be a great help."

    Greeted by a maid that didn''t suit the store''s atmosphere, he put his little sister down on the seat.

    His little sister laid down on the counter table, and looked up at Rui from below. She saw a chest that couldn''t even be compared with her own.

    "Everyone with big breasts should just die."

    Because she felt bad, her language turned bad as well.

    She was at her limit, and her face hit the counter. Taiga and Rui looked at each other.

    "Ahaha... then, I''ll get Fuyuki something light."

    "Sorry for that."

    Various things happened after that, and when they finished their meal they headed to school.

    For some reason Fuyuki was revived after eating the breakfast, and the gloomy atmosphere was instantly dispelled.

    Her long black hair that was divided into twin-tails danced in the Spring''s sunshine.

    "...how beautiful?"

    From Rui''s point of view that figure looked mysterious and fantasy-like, beautiful enough for her to admire.

    The twin-tails was a hairstyle that emphasized childishness, but in Fuyuki''s case it worked in reverse, giving her a more adult charm (also, it fascinated Taiga).

    In other words, it was ¡ºEnvy¡», something she didn''t realize before.

    Also, Taiga''s silence affirmed it, which worried her even more.

    "What''s that?"

    There were three bags, and in them was rectangular luggage wrapped in cloth, it was quite heavy.

    "It''s a secret?. You''ll know in about five hours."

    The three of them took a linear later than usual, heading to school.

    In Kiritou Academy, the cyber department aimed at the same or a higher level than general course when it came to basic subjects. That''s why, since there was the additional burden of specialized courses, the progression rate of basic subjects was inevitably faster.

    So, if the level was higher, the lesson structure was more inclined to application rather than memorization.

    In other words¡ª¡ª

    "Sugar? give me sugar?"

    "It''s too early to collapse, Brother."

    The boy who survived the entrance examination thanks to memorization and overnight cramming, was already getting left behind.

    It was the lunch break after four classes, and there weren''t many students in the class. Taiga''s face fell on the desk.

    It seemed like smoke came out from his head, and it wasn''t just a metaphor. That''s because he never was good with studying.

    His head was already a mess during the third lecture, during the fourth, the teacher''s words entered his ears from one side, and left through the other.

    Then, a call came in to Taiga''s terminal. The caller, Rui, already went ahead to the rooftop while holding bags with wrapped luggage.

    ¡´"Ah, Taiga? Preparations are done, you can come over."¡µ

    "Finally. So, did you prepare food or something?''

    ¡´"Look for yourself, you''ll enjoy it."¡µ

    He gestured to Fuyuki summoning her, and they went up the stairs aiming for the roof.

    "Welcome to ¡¶Paradise¡· on a business trip?!"

    The only people on the rooftop were the three of them, a blanket was spread in the best possible location where the sunlight was strongest, and boxes with a total of five layers were spread out on it. In the layer on top of four others were rice balls.

    "Woah, Rucchan, did you make all of this?"

    "It''s all handmade?."

    "It really is amazing... but this, no matter how you slice it, isn''t this too much?"

    "That''s because people who do sports eat a lot don''t they?. I thought Taiga would be like that as well?."

    "I know of something called weight management. I refrain from indulging in gluttony."

    There was no way to imitate the strongest weapon of his, the speed. However, it was true that the exercises consumed calories like crazy.

    "Uuu... th-then, will you... not eat it...?"

    "...no, I can eat if it''s this much."

    After glancing at Rui, Taiga corrected himself in a hurry.

    That expression was a foul play. He wouldn''t be a man if he didn''t eat it after seeing that look on her face.

    Seeing a smile bloom like a flower on Rui''s face, Taiga decided he made the right choice.

    "Well then, Itadakimasu."2

    "...itadakimasu."

    "Enjoy yourselves."

    He extended the chopsticks towards the opened boxes in front of him.

    No matter which one, the taste was amazing, and Taiga''s hand didn''t stop until the five-layered box was empty.

    They enjoyed a cup of tea after a meal, and then went back to the classroom. Also, they refused Rui''s proposal to make them boxed lunch every day with ¡º"We can''t bother you that much"¡», and settled on ¡ºOccasionally having some¡» after a few complications.

    After school they headed together towards the station, and came back to central station by taking a linear. And just when Taiga thought they will go back home and enter Elysion¡ª¡ª

    "Brother, let''s go on a date."

    "...ha?"

    Hearing that, he stopped thinking for a moment.

    "Date you mean...? Doing things that couples do?"

    "YES indeed! The couples going out together do do various things, that kind of date."

    "But you''re siblings, aren''t you?"

    "Even if we''re siblings let''s go out together. In fact, it''s even more special since we''re siblings."

    "But it''s misleading if you say it''s a date. ''Why don''t we tour the New City?'' and invite him like that."

    "You mean, you will guide us around, Rui?"

    "Of course!"

    Certainly, the only places they have been to ever since they moved in, was just Paradise, their own home, station and school. They could get a map from their terminal, but they never had time to look around.

    "You mean, we''re not going to enter Elysion today?"

    "We don''t have to log in every day, also there''s the accumulated damage from yesterday''s battle. We''ll wait a day until it recovers."

    In that case, there was no reason to refuse the invitation. With that said, the three of them walked around the New City that was crowded with people.

    New City is mainly divided into an eastern and western part around the central linear station. Caf¨¦ ¡¶Paradise¡· and the Tenryo siblings apartment were in the eastern part, residential areas, stores and entertainment mainly scattered around the city. Generally, the students mainly used the city''s eastern part.

    "There''s a lot of large shopping malls... looks like there''s a lot of stores in here."

    "That''s because Kiritou Academy is a mammoth school with three thousand students in it. There''s no shortage of customers to attract."

    The commercial street was a short walk away from the station, it was really crowded and very active.

    There were a lot of students wearing Kiritou Academy''s uniforms, they were either window shopping or eating out in the free time they had after school.

    "That shop over there is expensive, but they sell cute accessories. That restaurant has delicious parfaits, but other than that it''s mediocre."

    They walked around the avenue while listening to Rui''s guidance. Even while walking around the commercial street, the trio easily attracted people''s gazes.

    Two cute girls were one reason, plus one of them (of course it was Fuyuki) clung to a boy''s arm, and was in the spotlight.

    In other words, they were gazes of jealous boys.

    "...being stared like that makes it hard to walk."

    "Ignore what they''re saying. It''s a situation that should be openly enjoyed."

    "...Rui-san should also be aggressive like that... but it looks like it''s too embarrassing after all..."

    "What are you muttering over there, Rucchan?"

    The trio continued to walk while acting cheerful and noisy.

    In the corner of shopping mall, there was a shop with female clothing¡ª¡ª

    "How is it, Brother. Does it suit me?"

    "...ain''t there too little exposure? Leaving shoulders exposed is normal?"

    "This IS pretty normal. Speaking of which, you''re wearing quite plain clothes as compared to yesterday."

    "No, it''s Rui who has a perfect style so that looks good on her, unlike this flat-chested Fuyu¡ª¡ª."

    "Little Sister''s screw uppercut!!!"

    "Gouah!"

    "...what are you doing in the changing room?"

    He accompanied two completely different types of cute girls as they were shopping,

    "Brother, won''t you buy me that ring to commemorate our first date?"

    "Umm, Imouto-sama? Isn''t that a diamond or something?"

    "...well then I''ll settle for that."

    "That''s also pretty expensi¡ª¡ªno, it''s nothing."

    He held his head with one hand as he made an unplanned expense in the accessory shop.

    "Oh, this is delicious."

    "Red potato taste huh, please have a bite."

    "Then, here have this in exchange."

    "...having cr¨ºpes after school, this really feels like youth."

    "That''s because we are young maidens. Here, I''ll give mine to brother as well."

    "Ah yeah, sankyu."

    "Mouth to mouth."

    "Cherish yourself a little more, young maiden!"

    The trio had a good time sitting in the park with cr¨ºpes they purchased.

    After they finished touring the eastern side, on the opposite side of the station was the western side occupied by company buildings.

    That''s where they headed. As expected, there were barely any students over there.

    "No matter where I look it''s people in suits."

    "Though, there are leisure facilities here, like a zoo or amusement park."

    "I see, so that you don''t have to leave the city to see one on holidays."

    As they walked down the road, the street had skyscrapers lined up and what entered their line of sight were just signs describing the company names. As they looked around looking for something standing out, their eyes were naturally drawn to the building around twice as big than others.

    "So that''s the Kiritou Group headquarters..."

    "Big, isn''t it. It seems to represent the power of New City."

    "Want to enter and look around? The first and second floors are open for visitors and have cyber-related products displayed."

    "Brother, let''s go!"

    "...your eye colour changed?"

    He went inside of the Kiritou Group building pulled by Fuyuki whose eyes were shining.

    They passed through the huge building''s dazzling entrance hall, and headed to the second floor in an elevator.

    After the front door opened, there was a hallway in which a number of devices was exhibited.

    "Brother, Brother look at this! It''s amazing!"

    "Ah, yeah, so it is."

    While pulled slightly by his max tension little sister, he looked at the exhibit.

    As several of devices like Arclight and terminals that even Taiga knew were lined up, between them ¡ºHow is this used?¡» were things that made him think that.

    At some point, excited shouts could be heard from a square away. When they looked towards that direction interested, they saw a dozen people gathered in the square''s corner.

    ¡´"Everybody, why don''t we play a game to commemorate your visit?"¡µ

    A hologram depicting a woman in a suit was projected on the side.

    Judging from her inorganic, expressionless voice, it was an AI widely used as a receptionist. Hologram projectors seemed to be installed in various places.

    The game itself was a simple shooting game that pursued realism by using a Hologram

    "Let''s try it out!"

    Rui enthusiastically placed her hand on a handgun model displayed. A hologram displaying a two legged drone popped up and approached her.

    "There! There¡ª!"

    Rui shot them one after another as they were displayed. Fuyuki continued to observe products not interested in the game. And Taiga who was being a little bit left behind, observed Rui play from a distance.

    ...I thought so yesterday already, but Rui has pretty good reflexes. If she trained she could be as good as I am.

    Rui continuously shot the appearing drones breaking them.

    Her dynamic vision and reflexes were good, and she hadn''t missed a single time yet.

    She had better physical ability than most girls her age, good at studying, good at cooking and had a perfect figure. Truly a high spec girl.

    He moved his line of sight away, there was an AI that didn''t move an inch.

    Its fake smile clearly looked like it was ¡ºArtificial¡».

    "...it''s a same AI but it feels fairly different from Iora."

    ¡´"Did''ya call me?"¡µ

    "Ouoah?!!"

    He heard a response right next to his ear.

    And after he looked down at his shoulder, he saw Iora''s figure ten times smaller than she was before, jumping up and down on it.

    "Oh, you surprised me... so, why are you here Iora? Also, you''ve gotten really small..."

    ¡´"Master''s working here, I am currently in navigation mode."¡µ

    She added some more supplemental information about a lot of things. It seems like she can change the scale of her body. That felt really useful.

    "Ah, now that you say it she''s a daughter of Kiritou''s. So, why on my shoulder?"

    ¡´"Let''s continue from yesterday."¡µ

    The look on her face didn''t seem to answer his question, but some kind of curiosity glimpsed on it. Her heart seemed to be unsteady.

    "Continue from yesterday, that means¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    ¡´"The story about crushing mafia two years ago."¡µ

    "Ah, that. Unfortunately, I''m currently in private time mode. We''ll continue that tomorrow in class."

    ¡´"Mu¡ª......"¡µ3

    He was a bit surprised by her regretful expression.

    It couldn''t be said that she has a lot of expressions, but it seemed like there''s more emotions in her than yesterday. A difference could be easily seen by comparing her with the AI over there.

    "To think you changed just by chatting. Just like I''ve been told, that''s amazing learning ability."

    ¡´"Did I really change that much?"¡µ

    "There''s a great change as compared to yesterday. You''re not aware of it?"

    ¡´"...dunno. But... there''s something that''snot Iora, something hateful... what the hell is feeling?"¡µ

    Asking about the dark feelings she had in her heart.

    She might not keep up with the rapid development of emotions. He wanted to say some appropriate words, but he couldn''t think of any.

    That''s when, a loud noise rang out from towards the stage. It seemed like Rui apparently cleared the game, she had a big smile and was showing a V signalizing her victory.

    ¡´"Then, about time Iora excuses herself."¡µ

    "Eh? Yeah¡ª¡ª"

    The moment he removed his gaze from Rui and looked at her, Iora was already gone. He decided to talk about it with Haya tomorrow, and looked at Rui again.

    "...no matter where you go, you really stand out."

    It might be just her looks, but it seemed like there was an aura that attracted people''s gazes around her.

    Maybe it was just her natural disposition. Her charm, and a foundation of her overwhelming presence.

    No matter when, she was always dazzling.

    I wonder, if I''m like a moth attracted to her light.

    He knew. That was, a feeling that came from a silly inferiority complex.

    "...really, how ridiculous."

    He murmured very quietly, so that no one could hear him.

    He wondered if that light could clear up his darkness, wondered if he could forget about his past.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªEven though he decided not to forgive himself, ever. He wondered if he was asking for salvation.

    Rui received praises and applause from people surrounding her, the sun she was the centre of, seemed like a distant scenery that didn''t reach Taiga.

    They walked around until sunset, and returned early to have a dinner at ¡¶Paradise¡·.

    After healing themselves in the bath, the siblings were sitting in the living room.

    "Brother, how about a cold tea?"

    "Oh, sankyu."

    Together with the sound of his little sister''s slippers, the ring on her finger shined, she got it as a commemoration of the date (she made him buy it), a ring with an azure stone.

    "Umm, isn''t that the finger a wedding ring goes on...?"

    "There is a deep meaning to it."

    "It''s no good over there, is it!!"

    Recently, this little sister did things that her brother couldn''t understand.

    Fuyuki stroked the ring cherishing it, it was chosen on the spot by her, because it had an azure stone embedded in it. When he looked at her eyes, and compared it to the stone colour, he noticed there was a difference between them.

    Their eyes were ones that direct descendants of the Tenryo line were born with.

    In fact, their mother had the same eyes. Their eyes were often called ¡ºSky eyes¡» or ¡ºCrystal eyes¡», their eyes symbolized the power of the Tenryo household that had an even longer history than Renjou''s. That''s what they were always told by their mother.

    Maybe because he thought of their mother like that. He had a flashback that felt like an old injury about what happened eight years earlier.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªThat day, they were deprived of everything.

    The whole family was walking through a cross-walk.

    A large truck stuck at the intersection ignored the signal. Taiga who had superhuman reflexes and dynamic vision noticed immediately and was able to react, but his parents and little sister couldn''t.

    As young as he was, he made the worst choice.

    No, even if he said it himself, he was the one who was the worst.

    With his own physical ability, and the position he stood in, his parents that couldn''t be saved in time¡ª¡ªfeeling like he wanted to puke because of his calm thoughts in that situation, Tenryo Taiga discarded his parents.

    "............ngh."

    "Brother, your teeth will break if you put any more force in it."

    Before he knew it, Fuyuki appeared in front of him and hugged his head gently. He felt the warmth of the hand that stroked his head repeatedly, he felt something from it.

    "Can it be, did you remember what happened eight years ago?"

    "............"

    "So that''s how it is after all. You made a scary face so I realized immediately you know?"

    "...that''s my sin. I won''t ever forget it, not even for a moment."

    "Brother didn''t do anything wrong."

    "I know. If I tried to help father and mother back then, both of us would be dead now. I know that!"

    He understood that deep inside his head.

    Back then it was the best course of action. Even as he is now, back then he didn''t go through any special training, but even now he probably couldn''t save them.

    Nevertheless, his heart didn''t acknowledge it and continued crying out, burdening him with that sin. As if it were begging for forgiveness, as if it was seeking condemnation.

    Tenryo Taiga clung to the chest of the one he saved.

    "But I, I allowed the two of them to die!! Even though I knew they would die, even though I understood that, I didn''t hesitate even for a second!!"

    To rescue just his little sister, he sacrificed both of them.

    That''s why he sought strength. In order to protect everyone next time. In order to save everyone.

    So that no matter what happens, he can protect everyone.

    And more than anything¡ª¡ªto protect the last remaining member of his family.

    While being hugged tightly, Taiga breathed heavily releasing it all.

    Seeing her brother like that, Little Sister thought,

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªIt''s like a curse.

    The talent given to him from the heaven, the talent that led him to the future, continued to torment him.

    And her brother was in agonizing pain. But she loved him very, very much.

    "...it''s alright, Onii. The past, the present and the future, your little sister forgives it all. That''s why¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    She placed her forehead on his, and stared at him with the same eyes.

    "Onii should continue walking on his path without ever stopping."

    Just hoping for that.

    She wanted for her beloved person to follow his righteous path, and receive his reward in the end.

    Part 2

    ¡´"Now then, hurry up and continue your story."¡µ

    "...I beg you, don''t wait for me right by the door, it''s scary."

    He entered the deserted innermost school building, and after opening the classroom door he stepped inside slipping through Iora. Haya who lied on the couch raised just one hand up.

    "Heya."

    "...as ladylike as ever aren''t you, Haya."

    That light greeting decreased his mental strength because it was done by a girl that had the appearance of a yamato nadeshiko. The person in question had a mean, evil smile on her face at the moment.

    "In just two days, she really got attached to you. That Iora, she''s been looking forward to the continuation of your story ever since yesterday."

    I''m a little jealous?, she didn''t say it, but that was what her relieved face seemed to say. It was an expression like that of a mother''s who was happy her child found a playmate.

    "How do I say it, you''re like a guardian."

    "...well, Iora is something like a daughter or a little sister to me. Calling me her guardian is not wrong."

    ¡´"Taiga, hurry up, I want to listen to the rest of the story."¡µ

    He sat on the couch and Iora continued to float in front of him. Seeing that, he passed off the worries he had the other day as imaginary fears.

    After taking a deep breath he looked around the room.

    The room wasn''t wide, but it was filled to the brim with equipment that apparently didn''t belong to school.

    A rare thing in modern times where the e-books are mainstream, was a bookshelf with about a hundred books on it. The room of course had air conditioning, a small refrigerator and a dish rack could be seen in the back, there were also wardrobes with various things in them.

    It felt like, a person could even live in this place.

    "You really do as you please."

    "I am in a position that allows me to do as I please."

    She does whatever she wants without a shred of fear. She made a fictional lecture, made an unused part of the school her private room, seeing it go that far he could only sigh.

    "Oh also, I''m not going to be unreasonable and just force you to work, don''t misunderstand. This is work so you''re going to get your reward."

    "Reward?"

    "Yup. Kiritou is still developing its influence. So they can''t afford to pamper relatives. You get to have one wish fulfilled every time you show results¡ª¡ªthat''s the agreement I work under."

    Kiritou was an electronics-related company that emerged in the recent decade.

    Until then, there were three large companies, Karasuba, Namisagi, and Tokiminu. They bit into the monopolized cyber market thoroughly, seeking profit, but they still weren''t in a situation where they can let their guard down.

    "...the president''s daughter has it unexpectedly hard, huh."

    "That''s how it is¡ª. I accumulate a lot of stress. That''s why instead of me, I count on you to spend your time with Iora."

    "Then, if it''s just that¡ª¡ªhey, wha?!!"

    ¡´"Taiga, I want to listen to rest of the story."¡µ

    Startled by Iora''s head popping out from his stomach, Taiga tumbled down from the sofa.

    After school, as usual Haya headed towards the company headquarters, leaving the specialized course building.

    She had to finish all of the student council''s business and attend lessons before the lunch break. To avoid the possibility of teachers complaining about the work she was responsible for.

    "...okay."

    After changing clothes from her uniform to work suit, she slapped her cheeks.

    In this place she didn''t wear ¡ºThe mask of student council president that''s loved by everyone¡». What was important in here¡ª¡ªwas to produce proper results.

    After releasing the lock by authenticating with her brainwaves, she entered her private laboratory on the upper floor of the Kiritou company''s building.

    Even though it was called a laboratory, there was only an arclight there. The real laboratory was inside of Kiritou''s structure.

    A company-made arclight was laid out around the centre of the room, various devices were surrounding it. She closed her eyes after entering the capsule-like core part.

    "¡ª¡ªDive start."

    Her consciousness was interrupted and instantly put to sleep, she woke up a moment later.

    The login procedure was natural and quiet, there was no dizziness like in medium-sized machines. Haya immediately began her work.

    "Iora, are you awake?"

    ¡´"That question is unnecessary. A virtual personality does not need rest."¡µ

    Iora appeared in the centre of the room in response to her call.

    "It''s just a little joke. Don''t take it seriously."

    ¡´"...is that so. I still can''t understand jokes."¡µ

    When she looked at Iora''s pupils as she said that, she saw frustration in them.

    Even though I developed her by myself, this really is amazing progress?

    That could without a doubt, be called an emotion.

    Ten months of development, no, three months to be exact. But the growth didn''t show up until a few days before, her sensitivity evolved dramatically since then.

    ...really, it''s so fast it''s scary.

    For some reason, Haya couldn''t bring herself to rejoice over her evolution.

    After continuing to improve Iora. The fruits of her work have finally appeared.

    However, if this evolution causes an ¡ºUnexpected¡» situation¡ª¡ª¡ª.

    "Iora, a schedule change. Lie down there, and give me a full scan."

    ¡´"Understood."¡µ

    She was still anxious, even though she performed a full scan just recently.

    A bed appeared through object manipulation, Iora closed her eyes and lied down on it.

    Haya placed a hand on her and shifted the virtual personality into dormant state. There was no effect on her personality even if she changed the internal information in there.

    "It''d be good if there were no bad viruses inside of it."

    She started a scan immediately.

    A vast amount of information continued to scroll down like a muddy stream, and Haya continued to analyse and discuss it in her head.

    This is not required so it can be forgotten, I wonder if this has to be modified. ¡ª¡ªNn?

    Scrolling stopped.

    There was a program code written in it, that she didn''t recognize. It wasn''t there during the scan three days earlier.

    "...found it, this is the cause. It''s a bit unexpected."

    A clear and simple beyond imagination, a program code woven with a single purpose.

    Although she had a d¨¦j¨¤ vu as she examined it, she immediately tried to touch and remove it with her hands¡ª¡ª

    ¡´"¡ª¡ª¡ª Activating."¡µ

    From the supposedly unconscious body''s mouth, a machine-like voice leaked. The change was dramatic.

    A crimson light poured out of Iora''s body like blood and spread, it started wriggling and wrapping her body from head to toe.

    "Wha- what''s this?!"

    It was an ugly, sickening sight. It''s as if a real slime was devouring it''s prey¡ª¡ª

    Indeed, it was predation. It was definitely predatory, it was eroding her.

    "Guhh¡ª¡ª ¡¶Emergency shutdown¡·!"

    Haya ordered it to stop by using remote control. But, it didn''t stop.

    On the contrary, the crimson mucus began to expand several times. It swallowed the bed, and stopped in one spot modelling a creepy sphere, which burst at once and contracted.

    The red mucus splattered around, it looked like a gruesome scene of a tragedy happened.

    "...Io...ra...?"

    In the centre, in a pool of blood, there was a movement that ignored the laws of physics, It wasn''t ¡ºIolite¡» anymore.

    Her appearance itself didn''t change much, only her hair was dyed blood red.

    But on the surface, there wasn''t a single fragment of Iora left.

    The expression, her eyes, even the atmosphere around her was colourless and transparent. Unfocused eyes that had neither warmth nor coldness in them, they were just eerie.

    ¡´"¡ª¡ª¡ª Recognition start."¡µ

    The crimson girl murmured.

    ¡´"Information acquisition complete. Location confirmed, multiple virtual bodies reaction confirmed, commands confirmed."¡µ

    "What are you... saying...? Hey... what''s going on, answer me!!"

    It wasn''t speech.

    She was just listing out words.

    That''s how devoid of emotions it was.

    Showing interest in Haya''s cry, what used to be Iora continued.

    ¡´"Situational awareness complete. Program ¡¶Jail¡· experimental operation setup, complete. ¡ª¡ª¡ªExperiment start."¡µ

    She turned her head around, and looked in front.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª?!!?!"

    Goose bumps appeared on Haya''s entire body, instinct more than thinking drove the finger and activated the room''s defence system.

    ¡´"Barrier confirmed. Elimination by cutting recommended."¡µ

    Crimson light converged in her hand creating a huge sickle. It was even longer than the entirety of her dress, the girl grasped it in her hand and¡ª¡ª¡ªeverything exploded with a flash.

    "Kyaaa!!"

    The electronic barrier that was spread around couldn''t withstand the shockwave, and was brutally cut apart. Haya was blown away and slammed into the wall as the aftermath swept into the room.

    Can''t be... to think the barrier would be broken so easily...

    Sometimes unexpected situations happen causing accidents during experiments in laboratory. That''s why, a high level electronic barrier was set to prevent the worst in case there was an emergency.

    And that, was blown away to pieces with a single blow.

    It was quite a strong impact, but Kiritou structure blocked the pain. She looked around the room for her, she noticed ends of scarlet hair in the destroyed doorway.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ªIORA!!"

    Haya thought of what to do as she got up, she chased Iora''s back and contacted the management division at the same time.

    If she loses sight of Iora now, she''ll never see her again¡ª¡ªthat''s the feeling she had.

    "Emergency call! AI is running away from the lab area, hurry up and seal the structure¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    "Uowaaaahhh?!"

    Her voice was interrupted by a scream.

    She repeated the terms ¡ºVirtual bodies reaction¡» and ¡ºStart the experiment¡» again and again in her head.

    The view that appeared in front of her after she anxiously ran towards the screams source was, many of her colleagues lying on the ground, and a crimson girl grabbing a researcher''s neck with one hand.

    What... just what is going on?!

    Her thinking couldn''t keep up with the incomprehensible situation. A scene where dozens of people were lying down unconscious in virtual reality was impossible.

    In the first place, people get automatically logged out from their virtual bodies by management''s security measures after they lose consciousness.

    Lying unconscious like that, was impossible.

    "H-help me! Everyone was beaten up by her¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    The researcher that was gripped by his neck asked Haya for help, but the girl holding him poised her sickle,

    "Stop, please stop Iora! ¡¶Emergency shutdown¡· I beg you, stop¡ª¡ª!"

    ¡´"¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡¶Jail¡· activate."¡µ

    Her desperate cry was in vain, as the sickle of madness pierced through researcher.

    "Ah....gahh...uah..."

    The abnormality began immediately.

    The researcher trembled as his voice leaked out, and his eyes lost their light.

    The moment the light in his eyes was lost, the sickle pierced into his belly seeped out, and was pulled out again.

    An abnormal spectacle.

    However¡ª¡ªshe knew. She knew what this sight was, she knew very well.

    "It can''t be... why, why did that program?!"

    The researcher became a dumb doll deprived of its contents and thrown away. Likely detecting an accident happening, combat AI''s transferred over one after another to protect the structure.

    ¡´"Several hostile forces confirmed. Assessment of the situation¡ª¡ª¡ªexperiment interruption. Escape recommended."¡µ

    "W-wait, Iora!"

    She shouted at Iora who realized she was at disadvantage and started running away. Immediately after, she noticed. That direction¡ª¡ªwas the worst.

    "The transfer section... she''s going to run away to another structure?!"

    The blockade process wasn''t completed yet.

    There were around twenty passages from the transfer section, it was quite time-consuming to close them all. While it was requested, it will probably not make it in time.

    Haya immediately seized control of the combat AI''s invading the management division, and moved while leading the troops. Alarm signalling unauthorized access resounded, but she couldn''t afford to care about such a thing. If it''s left to Kiritou, Iora will be disposed off without a doubt.

    I won''t let that happen... I will stop her!

    With determination filling her heart, Kiritou Haya ran through the structure.

    Part 3

    At the same time, there were three figures including in the ¡¶Aries¡· structure. Taiga was one of them.

    "Yahaha, that took a while¡ª¡ª"

    "There were quite a lot of troublesome small fries. They stood in front of Little Sister''s social standing and didn''t give us a single penny, they should know their limits."

    The three of them walked through vast plains between mopped up small flocks of viruses, some of them were pierced by huge swords here and there. it was a little tiring for them.

    "But, well, we should be arriving soon right?"

    "Yes, just a bit further."

    They walked for twenty minutes from the nearest transition point, Taiga was tired of the empty plains.

    But to earn a living, he could not skip out on a hunt. The three of them waited until the virtual bodies self-healing was complete, and decided to go on a suppression mission to subdue a virus for a bounty.

    By the way, the current mission was like the last one, a new and yet undefeated species. Because of that, the reward was higher.

    "Honestly, it might be tough with three people, but we have to do our best."

    "How many people together does this usually take?"

    "Nn¡ª¡ª It depends on the competence of individuals, but it''s at least five people. But the two of you are stronger than normal because of Rui-san''s special attack-configured program?"

    No matter how much the bounty is, it''ll be offset by the repair bill for the virtual body if it falls apart.

    So as to hunt safely and efficiently, it became a basic strategy of qualification holders to increase the amount of people in a group, even if it reduces the share they get.

    "So, what kind of enemy is it this time?"

    "In a nutshell, it''s a huge knight machine. It''s name is ¡¶Peroon¡·, it''s a powerful, two-staged enemy that repelled the suppression corps before."

    "And it was a party of people who had three A-rankers within them."

    "That ¡ºRank¡» isn''t quite satisfactory. Isn''t there a higher rank we can obtain by winning?"

    "Yeah, let me explain it briefly. There are six ranks in total, from E to S which is top rank. Brother is at the start line, an E-rank."

    "Hmmm... and what determines your rank?"

    "The battles done up to this point, there''s a system incorporated in the attack-configured programs determining many elements. Going to B is relatively easy, but from that rank and higher it''s extremely difficult. Little sister has also remained a B rank for two years straight."

    "There''s only about a hundred people who have an A rank?"

    "That means, Rui is one of those hundred right?"

    "No, Rucchan is even higher, she''s one of the ten people who have an S-rank."

    "Eh, is she that amazing?"

    "Ehehe, oui!"

    In the first place, Rui was a senior player who played ever since Aries was founded. When it comes to ability, Fuyuki was at least an A rank even though she didn''t gather enough experience to advance. The rank isn''t directly related to a player''s ability, it''s only one of the indicators.

    The rank has nothing to do with the body''s ability or damage reduction, it''s completely unrelated.

    When the talk about that has ended, it suddenly darkened.

    "Mm?"

    "Did it become night already?"

    "No way. Night should have ended barely three hours ago¡ª¡ªabove!!"

    When they looked up to the sky warned by Fuyuki, they could see a mass of steel falling straight at them. He embraced Fuyuki instinctively and backstepped, Rui also jumped back.

    A second later, the lump of steel collided with the ground.

    The earth shook from the collision, a limb came out from the growing metal mass. Gigantic and completely disregarding laws of physics, steel riddled with complicated symbols, a knight of blue steel shouldering an enormous axe.

    "Mu¡ª. Taiga, what''s the meaning of this, why did you only protect Fuyuki?"

    "I believed Rui would be able to dodge that. So, is this guy the target?"

    "Yes. It''s ¡¶Peroon¡·. But I didn''t think he would come falling from the sky."

    Without panicking, Taiga unsheathed his nodachi, Fuyuki flapped with her fan, and Rui set up creation stones in her hands.

    The enemy, a mechanical knight raised its axe slowly, and was about to charge at them.

    ¡´"¡ª¡ª¡ª Obstacle confirmed. Recommended elimination by cutting ¡ª¡ª¡ª"¡µ

    And then it happened.

    With absolutely no warning, something crimson cut Peroon, bisecting its body.

    "......eh?"

    The machine''s body was cleanly cut from left to right and continued to crumble starting with the cut''s surface, it faded away unable to maintain it''s integrity.

    A single blow, with just a single blow the virus ¡¶Peroon¡· was suppressed and gone becoming particles of light.

    "...Fuyuki. Something like that, storming in, does that happen often?"

    "...no way. Seeing her prey being brought down in front of her like that, is a first for Little Sister."

    In front of three people who couldn''t move surprised, the extinction''s afterglow gradually faded out and they saw one figure basked in the sunlight.

    "...a girl?"

    Defeating a virus that three people would have a hard time suppressing, with a single blow. She had a crimson hair and empty pupils, a girl who held a scythe that could easily slice apart a human.

    "She looks like a Grim Reaper. But she doesn''t appear to be a virus."

    "There''s no price on her head, guess we have to change the place."

    While the two of them were wary of the intruder, Taiga recognized the figure from somewhere.

    He feels as if he saw her before. And he remembered the AI that was always together with Haya.

    "Iora...?"

    Image and atmosphere were completely different. But, that was definitely her figure.

    "An acquaintance?"

    "Yeah... but she shouldn''t give off such a strange feeling."

    He took one step forward towards Iora who was rooted on the spot like an object. He raised one hand signalizing the other two it''s alright and stood in front of the crimson girl.

    "Hey Iora. What''s up with this appearance? A makeover?"

    There was no answer. While continuously looking expressionless and empty, the girl turned around slowly. A shiver went down his spine.

    He regretted the fact that he approached her thinking it was Iora even for a moment.

    Overwhelmingly, hopelessly, catastrophically, it wasn''t a body of an intelligent being¡ª¡ª

    ¡´"¡ª¡ª¡ª Virtual body confirmed, resuming experiment."¡µ

    Together with these words, the motionless scythe moved slashing at him.

    He avoided the first blow thanks to his reflexes, though an ordinary person would not be able to react to it, Taiga unsheathed his nodachi in an instant. But because he was lost in thought, his posture was bad.

    Heavy...! How does this brute force come out from such a thin arm...!

    He diverted it by changing the angle instantly. But he lost his posture because of the overwhelming force. The girl slammed him into the ground and grabbed him by the neck rendering him defenceless.

    "Gah¡ª¡ª"

    There was no pain. But his vision was dyed white for a moment after being smashed by superhuman strength. The girl used that chance to swing her scythe down on him¡ª¡ª

    "I won''t let you!"

    Blades flew out from between Rui''s fingers.

    They exploded the moment they collided with the scythe, and the impact caused it to miss and stab on Taiga''s side. At the same time, two creative stones wrapped around the girl''s arm and inhibited her movement. Rui rotated her body as she changed creative stones to blades, and slammed them into the defenceless abdomen!

    "Fly away!"

    The blades exploded the moment they hit the girl, blowing her away. Furthermore another eight blades were thrown in pursuit and reached her.

    "How dare you slam Brother into the ground... I''ll smash this crimson woman until she''s one millimetre thin!"

    Towards the girl rolling on the ground, Fuyuki smashed three soil-coloured elemental spheres. The girl was confined in a prison of stone, and a huge rock fist was dropped on her from above.

    "Taiga, are you okay?"

    "Sankyu, I''m saved. It seems like she''s fairly accustomed with close combat."

    "Fuyuki and Rui-san will be the vanguard."

    "That''s enough for talking. Brother, I don''t know what kind of acquaintance that is, but for the time being we should beat her up. I think the other party isn''t too talkative."

    "...right? She cut the completely defenceless Taiga all of a sudden."

    ¡´"Resistance confirmed. Rendering target harmless recommended."¡µ

    At the same time as the muffled voice can be heard¡ª¡ªa crimson blade hit the rock fist above it, and shattered it.

    Fuyuki''s attack definitely hit. The damage could be seen on the reaper-like girl, but she stood up without batting an eyelash.

    "I''m going to attack from the front. You two attack her when there''s an opportunity!"

    The nodachi and the grim reaper''s scythe launched at a tremendous speed and met.

    Deflecting away the sickle''s strikes that came at him, he resisted them, and looked for one. Rui walked behind the girl and threw the blades in the gap he created.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!"

    The grim reaper howled.

    No expression other than howl was appropriate. It wasn''t high enough to be a roar, the force of the screech shook their eardrums.

    "Gahh¡ª¡ª?!"

    "Huaa¡ª¡ª?!"

    "What... is this, ultrasonic wave?!"

    Their eardrums were damaged through the ear canal. Although Taiga withstood sonic grenades before, Fuyuki knelt losing her balance. Even Taiga could barely stand up, and attacking was out of the question.

    *clank* ...he heard a faint high-pitched metallic sound ring in his head. The instincts he has cultivated so far warned him of crisis, and allowed him to jump away.

    The scythe''s blow tore through the thin air and lightly touched his ear.

    "Don''t... look down on me!!"

    Together with the roar his fighting spirit was roused, he lifted the sword and rebuilt his posture quickly. The sickle and his blade clashed, the girl retreated two, three steps and lowered her scythe.

    ¡´"Information updated, revising target''s threat level higher¡ª¡ª¡ªadapting. Suppressing target."¡µ

    The crimson girl moved before he did.

    The huge sickle was swung at Taiga from the front. Although he wondered why she hit without using any tricks, suddenly the speed increased.

    "¡ª¡ªDamn it!!"

    His dynamic vision held out allowing him to barely keep up. But the blows were dealt in rapid succession,

    It''s gotten a bit faster...!

    Taiga continued to gradually increase the speed he swung his sword at, same as the grim reaper.

    The speed of their exchange seemed to rise endlessly¡ª¡ªhowever, Taiga reached his limit sooner than he expected.

    What''s this... the body doesn''t keep up with my thoughts...

    In a high-speed battle, one can''t show carelessness even for a moment. Although it was only for an instant, it was the first time his body ignored instructions ever since he was born.

    And that happened more often every time his speed increased.

    I don''t get what''s happening, but at this rate... before that happens, I''ll decide it with a single blow!

    He lowered the cutting edge and pulled the nodachi.

    The nodachi was charged depending on stance, sparks and crackling resounded. First he slashed at the sickle''s handle, and then two blows followed on the unprotected body.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª Fourth form, ¡¶Raijyuji¡·!!"

    A blow that could not be avoided or prevented. A deadly blow that should definitely have cut the opponent apart¡ª¡ªwas stopped with a single hand.

    "Wha¡ª¡ª?!!"

    A hand wearing crimson light stopped the slash clad in purple lightning. Not even in his wildest dreams had Taiga thought it could be stopped, and that''s what happened there.

    Clearly, Taiga was off-guard.

    Normally he wouldn''t stop after hitting with one skill. He would have followed up immediately.

    The fact that this was Aries and not a battle in real world, has deeply penetrated his heart, causing him to get caught off-guard. It''s a game after all, in the end it has no effect on reality¡ª¡ªand so on.

    "Taiga, it''s coming!"

    When he heard Rui''s voice, the reaper already swung it''s scythe.

    Taiga moved his nodachi startled as well, but he could only look at the sickle swung down with herculean strength.

    However¡ª¡ª

    Rui stood in front of Taiga while holding a blade, which shattered and she was penetrated by the sickle, unable to do anything.

    She probably didn''t intend to be slashed. But the defence made out of blades was destroyed, and the sickle went deeper and deeper inside of Rui''s body.

    ¡´"¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡¶Jail¡· activate."¡µ

    The crimson girl muttered after piercing her. The red sickle pulsated like blood vessels, electromagnetic waves crackled around Rui''s virtual body in response to it.

    "...aa....aaaa...."

    Irises started to fade away from Rui''s pupils little by little.

    Without blood flowing out, without a scream, but something invisible to the eye was gradually shaved away.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªHer appearance overlapped with the one his parents had before they died.

    "¡ª¡ªI won''t let youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!"

    That moment, he stopped thinking.

    Led by an angry impulse, he smashed into the tip of the sickle. Rui''s body slipped away from the sickle and fell down, at the same time he gripped the sword stepping forward, and hit the girl with all his strength blowing her away.

    He literally sent the reaper girl flying over ten meters, and she hit the ground before bouncing a few times.

    "Haa¡ª......Haa¡ª......"

    He lost control of himself for a moment.

    He cooled himself down immediately, remembering it was Elysion

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªIt''s alright. It didn''t matter if they were cut in this world, they won''t get injured anyway.

    "Brother, Rucchan! Are you alright?"

    Fuyuki came running while still wobbly, it seemed like she still didn''t collect herself from the sonic attack.

    Taiga raised his hand signalizing they are safe and took a deep breath calming his mind.

    "To think a sound attack would come... my ears have gotten weird."

    "Also that superhuman strength. It''s too surreal to handle such a scythe with one hand."

    The siblings talked without panicking. Rui''s virtual body didn''t collapse, she will get up soon¡ª¡ªthat''s what they thought.

    "...Rui?"

    The first one who noticed the abnormality in her was Taiga. She didn''t show a sign of getting up, and she was leaning on Taiga without strength in her body.

    "Rui? ...hey, Rui!"

    When she didn''t respond to his calls, the doubts turned into impatience. Fuyuki also squatted and noticed something strange, she shook Rui''s body.

    "Rucchan! What''s going on? Rucchan?!"

    "...Ta......i...ga.........?"

    They were relieved hearing her voice react to them.

    But she was barely conscious. Her eyes were opened only slightly, and it seemed like they would close any moment.

    "Fuyuki, what''s going on?!"

    "...I don''t know why, but the auto-logout function isn''t working even though she almost lost consciousness. Let''s hurry to a safe place, we''re going to logout manually."

    "Well then, let''s transfer immediately!"

    "Move command will take at least ten seconds because of coordinate calculations. ...at that time, this thing won''t wait obediently."

    The crimson girl rose up barely feeling the damage from before. The moment Taiga raised his sword up, he noticed an abnormality in his body.

    I can''t feel my right arm...?!

    It was the moment he hit that thing. At that time he moved by instinct, and something in him completely disconnected.

    He wondered if he could fight like this, his leg movements as well¡ª¡ª

    ¡´"Minor damage received. Remnants of enemy force confirmed."¡µ

    "...Fuyuki, take Rui and¡ª¡ª"

    "I won''t run away. It''s not someone brother can defeat with an immobile arm."

    Looks like she noticed.

    Casually holding a scythe, the girl approached. The two of them knew that she was the cause of the abnormal state Rui was in. If that was the case¡ª¡ªthey can''t afford to be hit a single time.

    ¡´"¡ª¡ª¡ª Continuing experiment."¡µ

    Like a ghost, the reaper accelerated slipping through the ground, the siblings raised their weapons.

    "I found you¡ª¡ªcatch her!"

    At that time, he heard a familiar sounding voice.

    A dozen of mechanical dolls appeared with weapons in their hands and according to instructions jumped at the girl.

    ¡´"Several hostile forces confirmed. Assessment of the situation, recommending elimination."¡µ

    But even though one swing of the sickle bisected three bodies, the reduced number continued to attack. In the back of the unit, a girl in a suit commanded them while having a terrible expression.

    "They can''t match her after all. Civilians over there, hurry up and run¡ª¡ª¡ªaway..."

    When she looked back, she froze seeing the two of them.

    "...Taiga?"

    "Haya?!"

    The two of them were surprised to meet each other in such an unexpected place.

    Haya''s eyes looked behind Taiga and Fuyuki, and were directed towards Rui, she noticed the red scar engraved on her body.

    "That wound... it can''t be, was she cut?!"

    "Was she slashed...? Haya, what are you¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    At the same time Taiga questioned her, a loud sound of destruction reached them.

    Dozens of AI bodies were cut apart by a roundhouse slash, faded away and became light.

    "Gh... it can''t be helped. I didn''t want to use it if possible, Master Code ¡¶Forced Transition¡·!"

    As she clicked her tongue, a hexagonal crystal appeared on Haya''s hand, it faded away and melted into the atmosphere. A big alarm resounded throughout the world.

    ¡¶"Emergency alert, emergency alert. A serious problem has been discovered in the structure. Everyone will be forcefully transferred into another structure¡ª¡ª¡ª"¡·

    "What¡ª, what did you do?!"

    "It seems like that''s going to seal off ¡¶Aries¡·! Brother, hold Rucchan tightly!"

    The moment he tightly embraced Rui as told to by Fuyuki, his vision twisted. All of the scenery mixed and became a mess.

    "Ughh......"

    Along with the uncomfortable sensation that made all of his five senses go crazy, his consciousness was removed from ¡¶Aries¡· structure.

    When feeling came back, and his sight was restored, it wasn''t ¡¶Aries¡· anymore.

    "...the academy''s... structure?"

    The space in which the wall was glowing seemed familiar¡ª¡ªit was the classroom Haya made private. However, it wasn''t the real world, but Elysion. However.

    Haya triggered another hexagonal body next to her and murmuring ¡¶Quarantine Closure¡·, exhaled after finishing her job.

    "Blockade complete. There''s no need to worry that she escapes to another structure now. ...so, on to the next thing. Taiga, why were you in a place like that?"

    "That should be my line."

    Even though it wasn''t the real world, he laid Rui down on the couch. He placed a hand on her cheek, and it felt like she had a fever, he called out to her quietly.

    "Rui, are you alright?"

    "...oo...uu....?"

    Her eyelids opened lightly, Taiga breathed with relief that her consciousness recovered a little.

    "............who...are you?"

    His consciousness froze instantly.

    "H-hey..."

    "Rucchan, get a hold of yourself! Look, it''s Brother. Tenryo Taiga!"

    "...Ta...iga...? Right...Fuyuki''s...onii-san.. Rui-san''s...friend......"

    Rui desperately dug in her memory.

    But her voice was breaking up, hey eyes were unfocused, her consciousness was impaired to the point of losing it any moment. These abnormal words caused the siblings to go blank in this emergency situation.

    Meanwhile, Haya who calmly observed the state Rui was in, moved.

    While muttering she placed a hand on Rui''s head. Then Rui''s eyes slowly closed, and she disappeared into the void as her body shook. And she was transferred somewhere.

    "Leave her to me. I''m not going to do anything bad to her."

    Haya stated that with serious eyes she didn''t show at school.

    "...you better give us a proper explanation later."

    "Of course. But wait a little. We need to treat her before it''s too late."

    Too late, treat her¡ª¡ªhe wanted to pursue it right away, but Rui''s safety came first.

    Fuyuki probably knew that as well, she grasped the hem of Taiga''s clothes and signalized with her eyes ''Let''s pull out for now''.

    "...I get it."

    The siblings started the logout process, and went back to the real world.

    Haya contacted them an hour later.

    Translator''s Notes and References

    - 1.¡ü Usually Fuyuki uses Ani, which is more mature way of addressing older brother.

    - 2.¡ü Itadakimasu - In other words, words used before eating, and considered good manners. Some translate it to "let''s eat." though, it''s not entirely correct.

    - 3.¡ü Mu, is a Japanese onomatopoeia for being annoyed/angry/jealous, but more on the positive side. It comes from the word Mukatsuku ¨C be annoyed/angry/pissed off.

 Volume 1, 4 - A Vow to Uphold

    Volume 1, Chapter 4 - A Vow to Uphold

    Part 1

    It was the time when sunset began to dye the sky in its colours.

    The siblings headed in a taxi through the New City towards the western business district. After getting off in front of a white building they hurried inside.

    "You came, it''s here."

    Wary of Fuyuki, Haya who guided them was in student council president mode. Even though Fuyuki heard her real tone of voice in ¡¶Aries¡·, she was still cautious.

    The only, and a very large hospital in New City, Kiritou general hospital. The private room they arrived at was in a special ward, they entered .

    "Ah, yahoo¡ª, you two are here?"

    Rui had a raised upper body. It didn''t feel like she was in a state where she was barely conscious an hour ago, Taiga stroked his chest in relief.

    "Looks like you''re alive and well. I wondered what happened when we were suddenly called to the hospital."

    "Yahaha, sorry for worrying you."

    "If you''re alright, then that''s fine."

    For the time being, they were happy that Rui was safe.

    When he looked around again, he noticed the hospital room was quite broad. The furniture and a pure white wall had a considerable sense of quality to them.

    "It''s a private VIP room. To prepare such a thing in one hour, as expected from a daughter of Kiritou."

    "Fufufu, I''m acquainted with the director of this place. so I had it specially prepared."

    Her tone changed to a polite one (Taiga didn''t remember her cold tone anymore) as she stood a small distance away from the three of them.

    Taiga wanted to learn what''s happening as soon as possible, but he hesitated to ask in front of Rui.

    So while Fuyuki was talking with her, he walked up to Haya and asked in a low voice.

    "...is Rui really alright?"

    "There''s no need to worry for the time being. But the problems are going to start now."

    "...got it."

    Being said that it''s alright only for the time being, part of his anxiety was revived.

    "You said you prepared this room. But you''re not acquainted with Rui are you?"

    "I knew her name because she''s a promising freshman, but that''s all. ...so, right. She''s staying at your house today, Taiga. Her parents sent you their best regards and leave her to you."

    Although Haya answered indifferently, there was a glimpse of fatigue she couldn''t hide on her face, it was probably mental fatigue¡ª¡ª. If it was Iora who had undergone a sudden change, he could only sympathize with her.

    "Are you alright?"

    "Don''t worry about me, worry about her."

    Haya clasped both her hands soundly as she said that, and drew the line of sight of Rui and Fuyuki. She instantly pasted a perfect smile on her face.

    "Let''s go down the main issue. The state Saionji is in now, and the girl you three met, I''ll explain all of it."

    "First of all, Saionji''s state. It''s pretty poor to be honest."

    Haya sat down on the chair and looked straight at Rui. Rui probably guessed it, and somehow accepted the declaration.

    "...what do you mean by ''poor''? It looks pretty normal."

    "Absolutely not. Saionji-san is in a state where her foot barely works right?"

    "...Rucchan, is that true?"

    Fuyuki didn''t expect these words and stared at her.

    Taiga as well thought that it couldn''t be, and grimly stared at Rui.

    "Uu... Kaichou-san. I told you not to tell them..."

    "Recognition of the current situation is important. Besides that, the abnormalities are not only on the surface. Saionji-san, how much memory do you have left?"

    "Eh...?"

    For some reason Haya said those words with confidence. And not even Rui herself anticipated them.

    "...so you still haven''t realized."

    "Please wait, Kaichou-san. What do you mean by memory?"

    Fuyuki cross-examined Rui. Taiga had an idea. Memory¡ª¡ªthat word, it was only for a moment but Rui could not recognize him back then.

    "Just what I said. Saionji-san, do you remember where you were last night?"

    "Of course I remember."

    "I see. Then a month ago¡ª¡ªaround the time where you graduated from middle school. What about that time?"

    "Umm... after graduation ceremony I was with a friend... a, eh?"

    She played with her friend¡ª¡ªthat''s how it should be.

    But she could not remember. Her friend''s face was definitely in her memory, but she didn''t remember her name. People around her were missing from the memory''s landscape in her memory, as if they were cloth eaten out by a moth.

    "What... why?"

    "...looks like you can''t remember. Looks like symptoms are still light, we''ll see the results of the scan and you''ll leave this place tomorrow evening."

    "Hey, Haya! Come on and tell me already! What''s happening to Rui?!"

    Taiga hearing the roundabout conversation focused on the core issue.

    If there''s a progressing abnormality in her body, there''s a need to investigate the cause as soon as possible. And that said, why was she talking leisurely about it.

    "Brother, please calm down."

    "But¡ª¡ª!!"

    "Little Sister is also confused, but nothing will change even if you shout. Nothing good comes out from losing your cool."

    He calmed himself down after taking a glance at Rui. She was laying straight on the bed and looking at him with a worried expression.

    ¡ª¡ªIdiot. What are you doing worrying her instead.

    As Taiga took a deep breath and waited, Haya projected a window from her terminal.

    The projected Hologram looked like a pale sphere floating in the void.

    "Now then to continue¡ª¡ªTaiga-kun, do you know how the consciousness is maintained in Elysion?"

    "Eh... yeah¡ªwhat was it. The consciousness is downloaded in form of data and placed in a virtual body..."

    "The outline is not wrong, but the answer isn''t sufficient."

    "Brother, wasn''t it just taught in the class today?"

    "Ughh..."

    His lack of studying was exposed in an unexpected place.

    "Lack of Taiga-kun''s knowledge aside. Human mental structure is used as a base for generic biological information and memory. When you log in, your mental structure is transferred into the virtual body located in Elysion, after it''s removed from the real body by arclight. That means, the virtual body is extremely sensitive to the mental structure and changes automatically. The body is very consistent with the mental structure, in other words, it''s exactly the same as the one in physical reality."

    In other words, it is a structure of soul and mind, your own body is left behind and that''s inserted in an empty vessel¡ª¡ªthat''s how Taiga interpreted it.

    "This sphere is a graphical representation of a mental structure. Normally a mental structure is not beautifully one-coloured like this... but this is Saionji''s mental structure now."

    Haya summoned another window, and arranged it neatly right next to the first one.

    The difference between the two of them was obvious.

    "...this is, what does this mean."

    "...as expected, it''s not a laughing matter."

    Taiga who was lacking knowledge about cyber-related things, could not understand the meaning of what the figures were showing.

    But even so, he understood that the mental structure that was stained by crimson in some places as if eaten out was abnormal.

    "A spiritual structure, in other words, it''s a soul. It''s like an engine that''s required to move a human brain. If there''s a problem with the mental structure, the body is affected as well. Also, so is the memory."

    The part that was contaminated by red was smaller than one percent of the total. But while they were watching, although only by a little, a crimson part has eroded a normal part. Turning it blood red - ¡´Crimson¡µ.

    It reminded them of the girl with the huge sickle.

    "...the cause is that thing?"

    "To put it simply, she was injected with a virus. A virus that erodes the mental structure¡ª¡ªalthough it said something like ¡¶Jail¡· or whatever."

    "But, I''ve never heard of a virus that interferes with the mental structure! No, in the first place interfering with the human soul is commonly acknowledged as being forbidden!"

    "Yeah, that''s right. Because interference with Mind Crack."

    It''s not regulated by law. Rather than that, the laws are far behind the logic of Elysion.

    Although there''s a story about a special police department in charge of Elysion recently, but the country couldn''t interfere much because of the four companies monopoly.

    That''s why a minimum of morals was required for those that work in the cyber world. Out of the things ethically prohibited¡ª¡ªMind Hack was a prime example.

    "Mental manipulation... it sounds like that thing is really dangerous."

    "I''ve heard stories that terrorists tried to develop and practice it. But in fact, I haven''t heard of a single success."

    "Because it''s still a black box to us, we''re unable to analyse mental information."

    No matter how much technology progresses, the matters of the human heart aren''t something that can be easily analysed. That''s why ¡ºImmersion devices¡» are only capable of doing things to a certain extent.

    "It''s just as Fuyuki-san and Saionji-san said, we can''t ¡ºInterfere¡» with it in a true sense. But a year ago, a certain company began studying it for the purpose of converting it into a military asset, and was able to artificially create a similar phenomenon. ...the centre of it became a certain girl."

    Haya took a big breath and sighed, she started to talk again after fixing her posture.

    "¡ª¡ªa researcher affiliated with Kiritou Group, Asumi Aoko. My best friend who developed the AI ¡¶Iolite¡· together with me."

    The past led to the present, the chains of cause and effect.

    "Just as I told Taiga-kun in the specialized lecture today, Kiritou is an emerging power. The cyber market was dominated by three large companies before. In that market, Kiritou attempted to interrupt their supremacy and benefit from it."

    "There''s a lot of rumours about that. Like if it doesn''t profit, your actions will be limited."

    "That rumour is true, my father is such a person."

    "I see, so that''s where the mental structure interference comes in. It could derive enormous profits if it could be utilized as a weapon. However, Asumi Aoko was it? For her to develop it alone..."

    "Aoko-san had an incredible top class talent."

    Haya''s attitude as she exposed the dark side of her household was indifferent. She just relayed the facts to them. Even though she appeared to be a bit worried about it, she couldn''t afford to bother with that now.

    "...so, why is that damn virus in Iora?"

    "I don''t know that myself. The project was aborted in the first place, the virus should be unfinished as well."

    "Unfinished?"

    "I''ve heard that all the data involved in its development was disposed of and lost. And even though it shouldn''t exist anymore..."

    "Let''s ignore that for the moment. That reaper¡ª¡ªcertainly, it was called Iolite. What caused that runaway AI''s rampage?"

    "I don''t know that as well. When I attempted to delete a program I didn''t remember writing, which appeared between two scans, it suddenly started up in the middle of it and took that appearance."

    The deletion was probably a trigger of it to start up, that''s what Haya meant.

    It was possible that program code was hidden, and set to appear with specific timing¡ª¡ªwith something like this.

    But there were too many things to take in at once.

    Now that Aoko was dead, the only one who could access internal information was Haya. Even if someone tried to access it without authorization, the barrier she developed with Aoko to prevent that wouldn''t be broken so easily.

    "Iora who went on a rampage, to borrow Fuyuki-san''s words let''s call her a reaper. The reaper has implanted ¡¶Jail¡· into the mental structures of twenty-three researchers from Kiritou before she ran away. You know what happened after that."

    "What happened with those twenty-three people?"

    "They were transported into hospital in an unconscious state. They didn''t wake up after being left by her unlike Saionji-san, they completely lost their mental structure. Also... Saionji-san will soon be the same."

    "......!!"

    Confronted with the facts again, Rui lowered her face.

    As if a thread was cut, she hugged her body tightly like she was losing feeling in it.

    "The amount you were infected with was smaller thanks to short contact time, and I implanted an antibody program in your consciousness to reduce the erosion, but it doesn''t mean its completely suppressed. You will be completely eroded by tomorrow."

    Just when Haya finished explaining the circumstances indifferently, she had an interactive communication call.

    After Haya saw the name displayed in the window, she frowned and said "Excuse me." before leaving the hospital room.

    A silence dominated the room.

    Rui lost her voice because of the situation she was in, Fuyuki clasped her hands gently comforting her best friend. And Taiga blamed himself.

    "...It''s my fault."

    He squeezed the words regretfully. She was cut right in front of him.

    It was a distance at which he should have prevented it, he should have power to block it, and because he awkwardly stood in one spot, it led to an irreparable situation.

    "If I didn''t stand there carelessly, the reaper wouldn''t have hit you. If I was stronger, I could defeat that alone, I don''t care if I were to be cut, Rui wouldn''t be cut like that in front of me!"

    "Taiga... that''s¡ª¡ª"

    Although Rui wanted to deny it, she was stopped by Fuyuki''s silence. Noticing anger swirling in the back of her eyes, she closed her mouth.

    "Eight years, I''ve been training desperately for eight years, and still nothing has changed! What ¡ºSave everyone in front of myself¡»! I couldn''t even save one person in front of me!"

    Fuyuki walked slowly towards her brother who continued to curse himself.

    And she raised her right hand with all the strength she had,

    "¡ª¡ªstop spouting crap, shaddup, idiot Onii."

    *slap*, a loud sound came out as his cheek was hit.

    Taiga, surprised by her unexpected behaviour, looked up at the beautiful sky blue pupils that displayed anger.

    "Ah, geez... Rucchan! It will be loud so please block your ears! Little Sister is going to preach to this idiot!"

    "It''s a hospital room so be as quiet as possible?"

    "Fuyuki, what are you sudden¡ª¡ª"

    "Be silent for a moment, Onii! Also, sit in seiza!"

    Riled up Fuyuki went back to calling him ¡ºOnii¡» from ¡ºAni¡». Partly because of the atmosphere, Taiga sat down on the floor after getting off the hospital chair.1

    "Little Sister is so upset her head''s gotten weird! It''s all your fault? What kind of crazy nonsense are you talking about!"

    "No, but¡ª¡ª"

    "It isn''t just Onii, Little Sister is responsible for the fact that Rucchan turned out like this as well!"

    "Let me say a thing as well, it''s no one''s responsibility. Rui-san jumped in by herself, the fact that it turned out like this is my responsibility."

    Both his cheeks were pinched by Fuyuki, and her face approached his.

    The beautiful sky blue eyes looked as if they were to suck him in, and she conveyed her thoughts to him straight.

    "I don''t know what kind of lifestyle Onii led at Renjou''s. However, to Little Sister it seems like ¡ºNo matter what happens, I''ll shoulder it by myself¡» was decided from the beginning... and that, is annoying me a lot, it angers me to the point I can''t take it."

    "...ngh."

    His heart bounced at these words. It was a lucky guess.

    ¡ºRenjou Taiga¡» was a person who wasn''t protected, but the one who did the protecting, he was a human who stood at the top. Depending on his actions people''s life and death was decided. He had no choice but to shoulder everything by himself.

    Fuyuki conveyed her thoughts further.

    "I''ll say it clearly. I don''t know about the real world, but Onii is just a beginner in Elysion. Know your place. Also, understand one more thing, now you have Little Sister with you."

    Even when he was blessed with strongest subordinates, Taiga was always alone. He had no people whom he could cry and laugh together with.

    He only needed the strength adults requested from him.

    "No matter how far you go, I will always stand next to you¡ª¡ªplease don''t forget that."

    ¡ª¡ªFor some reason. When she said she will always stand by his side, he was incredibly happy.

    He finally could whisper the words, "I''m not alone".

    No matter where he ends up, with this he could still believe.

    "...Fuyuki."

    "Yes. What is it?"

    Fuyuki smiled gently. He wanted to convey something to her, but he couldn''t find appropriate words.

    "...thank you, for being my little sister."

    He put all his thoughts in such mundane words.

    "Fufufu, Little Sister being your little sister is natural right? What are you talking about now?"

    "Well I guess. But that''s just what I thought."

    They were separated for eight years, it was so long it wouldn''t be strange if their hearts drifted apart.

    Even so, she still had him in mind, with all of her heart. Taiga understood with his heart rather than his mind just how strong her feelings for him were.

    "...ahh, come on, Brother is so cute!"

    And, with that as an impulse Fuyuki came at him and hugged him with all her strength, while he was still sitting. Entirety of her small yet soft chest pressed against his face, and a sweet fragrance filled his nostrils.

    "Mugha... wa-wait, Fuyuki?!"

    "Seeing such weakness it''s unbearable! OniiOniiOniiOniiOniii!"

    His physical strength was in contrast with the fragility of his mind. That gap moved her heart.

    "...Mu¡ª..."

    Looking at the siblings by the bed, Rui closed her lips tightly. Even though, to be exact it was Fuyuki hugging Taiga, but it was all the same to Rui.

    ¡ª¡ªNot fair.

    The two of them had a special atmosphere between them, and she was so envious she couldn''t stand it.

    She wondered, if that was why she extended her hand grabbing Taiga''s ear unconsciously.

    "Eh? Ru-Rui? ¡ª¡ªOw, it hurts it hurts it hurts!"

    She grabbed it tightly and pulled.

    "Mu¡ª, Mu¡ª, Mu¡ª!!"

    "Wa-wait a second, it hurts! Did I do anything?!"

    Taiga was confused because he was punished not knowing the reason. Rui just kept pulling and twisting his ear like a child without telling why. Fuyuki''s gaze suddenly sharpened.

    "...what are you doing?"

    And, coming back unnoticed, Haya looked down on him as if he was garbage, with a good looking smile on her face.

    "Um, no, this is..."

    "A carnage? Two-timing is the worst."2

    "It''s a serious situation in a different sense!"

    That fa?ade, she definitely knew what''s going on, and yet said that.

    Fuyuki stopped hugging him, and Rui stopped pulling on his ear and sat straight. But she looked slightly angry. She sat up without explaining why she had been pulling on his ear.

    "Looks like the poisonous air disappeared somehow, is it alright to continue the talk?"

    "...go on."

    Certainly, the tension caused by his sense of guilt disappeared. He wondered if that''s what Fuyuki intended by acting like that¡ª¡ª?

    ...I''m thinking too much into it.

    Taiga immediately rejected that guess in his mind.

    "Really, it''s all because Brother said such things."

    "Is that my fault?!"

    "No...it''s not Taiga''s...fault......"

    "...Rucchan?"

    Suddenly, Rui''s condition turned strange.

    Her pupils unfocused, her body lost its strength and fell on the bed.

    "Hey, Rui?!"

    Taiga wanted to approach her in a hurry, but was stopped by Haya.

    "Please calm down. She probably just fainted because the erosion has progressed, she will wake up soon."

    He was relieved to hear that.

    But it wasn''t a state where they could be optimistic. Taiga asked Haya straight.

    "Haya, what do we have to do to turn Rui back to normal?"

    "...the method is very simple. I will create an antibody program that will destroy the cause of abnormality in Iora, the mental structures should all be released and restored. However, there are some concerns."

    "Concerns... is there a time limit?"

    "A time limit? What do you mean?''

    "...the mental structure, in other words, if there''s no soul it can''t be logged into Elysion, she has to be a proper entity."

    If the mental structure disappears, there''s no recovering. Currently it''s the common belief that there''s some kind of connection between the mind structure and body.

    That''s why in Elysion, a bowl called virtual body replaces the substance required for mental structure.

    "However, if ¡¶Jail¡· erodes the mental structure, the connection might be cut off."

    "If the connection is cut off, is that bad?"

    "It''s very bad. Brother please think about it. You cannot return to the original location after that thread is cut. Even if the mental structure is intact, it doesn''t mean anything if it can''t go back to the body."

    "Wha...... then, then Rui will¡ª¡ª"

    "Taiga-kun, calm down. It won''t happen immediately. In Saionji''s case the erosion isn''t done yet, also there''s still a possibility of re-connecting it after it''s eroded."

    He was somewhat relieved by those words. And, Fuyuki asked further details.

    "In that case, do you know roughly how much time is left?"

    "Unfortunately I don''t know the exact time... but it won''t be too fast."

    If she doesn''t recover her mental structure as soon as possible, there''s a worst case possibility Rui will never wake up.

    A day, maybe three days, even if he asks... he has to hurry anyway.

    "And one more thing. Since there''s a barrier around Iora, it''s impossible to inject the program in that state. Someone has to destroy the barrier by attacking her..."

    "The stage is ¡¶Aries¡·, there''s no choice but to do it by force... Brother?"

    "I know... that''s my role"

    Taiga swore to her as she slept, and muttered the words with resolution.

    Part 2

    ¡ª¡ªShe had a dream.

    She felt as if she was floating on uncertain waters, and nevertheless, she felt at peace.

    She continued to look at her memories with dulled thinking ability.

    It were memories from the four last days, but even though the time was short the memories had a high density.

    That time repeated again and again, and Saionji Rui continued to replay those last four days.

    Suddenly, her field of view was dyed crimson. It seemed like it came to steal it.

    No way. I''m not going to give it up.

    It didn''t hear her. The crimson continued to take away her dreams, and soon faded away as if satisfied. She wondered just how many times this ¡ºPredation¡» repeated.

    The tape called memory, was literally eaten away little by little.

    She was exhausted by being eaten away at, she knew that even as she slept.

    Even so, just that, just those feelings, she will definitely not forget.

    Thinking like that, Saionji Rui immersed herself in the memory.

    Suddenly, she woke up.

    "Hey, sleeping beauty. Are you awake?"

    "......aa...eh...? Tai...ga...?"

    She turned in the direction the voice came from, she wondered if he kept watching her, it was the figure of ******* Taiga sitting down on a chair in a white room.

    E...h...?

    Weird... the information she should have was missing from her head. As she moved her gaze after being attacked by anxiety, what entered her field of view was a white wall and a darkened night sky.

    "It''s already night?"

    "You slept for about three hours. ...that fake yamato nadeshiko, what kind of ¡ºshe will wake up¡» was it. We were insanely worried..."

    Taiga muttered under his nose and took out a plastic bottle filled with water from the refrigerator, and held it out to her. Rui was thirsty so she accepted it¡ª¡ªbut it dropped down on the bed.

    "....ah."

    "There."

    Taiga caught the plastic bottle that almost fell off the bed.

    ...I see, my right hand is messed up as well now.

    Somehow, she recognized the state she was in, as if she was talking about someone else.

    There still wasn''t anything wrong with her sight and hearing, she would go mad if that was the case¡ª¡ªit wasn''t a theory, but an intuition.

    "...ho, then I''ll help you drink it then."

    Taiga opened the cap, and helped her drink the water while making sure she didn''t choke.

    Just because she couldn''t muster much strength he moved, even though she could drink it by herself if she used both hands.

    "Thank you, Taiga."

    "You''re welcome. How''s your memory?"

    "Nn?it''s more or less alright."

    She was in a state that normally would cause fear to crush her, but she answered with a smile.

    Beaming with a radiant smile blowing away the negative feelings, hiding her helplessness in the deepest corner of her heart.

    Because she knew that''s the only thing she can do.

    ¡ºIt''s my fault¡», she knew that was the only way to heal the heart of the boy in front of her.

    "I see... and more specifically?"

    "Nn? memories of middle school first year disappeared as if they never existed. Ah, and also I don''t know Taiga''s and Fuyuki''s last name anymore."

    "...isn''t this serious?"

    "That''s why, tell me?"

    "...it''s Tenryo. Tenryo Taiga, and Tenryo Fuyuki."

    "Tenryo, Tenryo Taiga... Tenryo Fuyuki..."

    Before the girl who tried to remember it, Taiga was also aware of his own powerlessness.

    But it was not the time to regret. It''s not possible for Tenryo Taiga to save her now. And because he can''t do it, he needs to use this time well.

    "Then¡ª¡ªRui. Umm... tomorrow, will you go on a date with me?"

    "...oui?"

    Being suddenly invited ¡º?¡» mark appeared as she smiled.

    Next day, eight forty in the morning.

    "Well then, I''m off."

    Taiga sat on a chair in the dive room and fixed his breathing. Fuyuki was on the other hand sitting on the floor tired after working all night and just raised her hand seeing her brother off.

    "Yes. Please send Rucchan my regards. Little Sister is so focused on work she doesn''t have time to contact her. My apologies."

    "I know. About that program, I leave it to you. ¡ª¡ªDive Start."

    Taiga started up arclight, and his consciousness moved to Elysion.

    The mental structure was as usual, transferred to the virtual body. But the log in destination was different.

    It was not ¡¶Aries¡· which was currently sealed off, but a public structure anyone could enter for free.

    There are many various types of structures.

    It was just like Aries which was a game that used surplus processing power, but the amount it used was very small and barely around 0.1%.

    Unlike a special structure like Aries, most of the city structures for public use mimicked reality. They were literally an existence that was a ¡ºSecond world¡».

    When it comes to the city the three of them lived in, the structure was referred to as ¡ºVirtual New City¡».

    This virtual area imitated the real New City, a small world mimicking it.

    Of course, if citizens couldn''t access it it wouldn''t be a public structure¡ª¡ªthat''s what an urban structure was.

    "...so. I came here for the first time, but it is a mysterious place."

    He felt light-headed for a moment, his virtual body was in front of the station.

    The city entrance¡ª¡ªthis was the location everyone was sent to when they logged in to ¡ºVirtual New City¡» for the first time, the station. Though it was called a station, the linears were not running.

    When he looked up, there a number of strange coloured cubes floated in the sky, displaying information and news.

    Buildings, roads, everything, the futuristic city looked somehow surreal.

    Those guys couldn''t stop themselves from doing whatever they please, such a thing...

    In fact, there''s a lot of incidents where people fall into malnutrition after continuously diving for a long time.

    Since he wasn''t using a small headgear type arclight used at homes but one with life support system, continuous diving should not cause any serious consequences.

    "Well then. Just as I''ve been told by Fuyuki, I came twenty minutes before the promised time."

    In front of him, there was another visitor in the meeting place they decided together a day before.

    "Why are you here already..."

    Even though he intended to go over there before she came¡ª¡ªbut Fuyuki''s advice was defeated. And, then she came over while waving cheerfully after noticing him.

    Chestnut fluffy hair, a girl wearing irregular daring clothes.

    Having a natural charm that attracted people''s gazes, it was Saionji Rui.

    Why were the two of them on a date at a time like this.

    It''s something they talked about yesterday, before Rui woke up.

    "Role, is it... certainly, the only one who can fight back against it, is only Brother, but do you have a chance? Taking the previous battle into consideration, I don''t think Brother has any?"

    "Ugh..."

    Although he said something cool, he was at a loss for words when he was told that.

    Even if he was caught off guard, but he would be defeated anyway if he continued to fight like that. And, for some reason his body acted weird during the battle.

    "...you didn''t think about it. As expected."

    "Well well, isn''t that just like Taiga-kun. Making a rash decision and ending up looking uncool."

    He noticed it just now, but Haya and Fuyuki were quite similar.

    "But there''s no need to worry. This wonderful cute Little Sister will think about it. ¡ª¡ªGive Little Sister a day, and I will determine the reason for Brother''s malfunction, I''ll do something about the difference in strength."

    Fuyuki looked straight at him, and that look increased the feelings of helplessness he had.

    Twenty-four hours. During that time, he could do nothing but look at his best friend, Rui to break in silence.

    Even so, Fuyuki would not budge.

    In order to save her, in order to avoid failing no matter what. She would not budge.

    Because Taiga understood that, he prepared himself.

    "...I get it. I leave it to you, Fuyuki."

    He left it to her. And his little sister went home immediately.

    "I need to complete the antibody program as well, so excuse me. I will be done by tomorrow as well."

    "I see. So, what should I do now..."

    He couldn''t spend time not doing anything.

    Looks like they will be skipping school tomorrow, he thought about going to train after all, but Fuyuki proposed another plan.

    "Brother, please stay together with Rucchan the entire time. She will be insecure and anxious alone. I don''t mind if you go on a date or something you know? I give you special permission."

    "D-date? No, but Rui can''t walk..."

    "If it''s that it''ll be alright. Kaichou-san, does this hospital lend virtual bodies that are operated by thoughts?"

    "One can be prepared right away."

    "It''s decided then. Brother, tomorrow go on a date in Elysion tomorrow."

    Their conversation skipped a lot of steps. Well he was worried about Rui, and he wasn''t against going out together... still he couldn''t help but get nervous considering it was a date.

    "It will go well, Little Sister will give you advice. In exchange, please go on a date with Little Sister later, okay?"

    That''s it. Recollection end.

    Taiga rushed over and uttered a word of apology.

    "Sorry, did you wait long?"

    "Mm, no, Rui-san just arrived as well."

    The male and female roles were perfectly reversed from what Fuyuki told him. He couldn''t calm down feeling guilty, he started the day he was supposed to spend with Rui thinking like that.

    An innocent smile like usual, and her clothes were hot pants and a tank top.

    Meaning, Rui wanted to look attractive today.

    ...did she change for me?

    He didn''t know how to call it, but today she was¡ª¡ªcute.

    It didn''t mean she isn''t normally cute. It meant... that a very pretty atmosphere surrounded her body.

    He wondered if that was the magic of a date.

    "...uh¡ªumm, is your body alright? The thought-operated virtual body, was it?"

    "Yup. It was difficult to move at first, but I''ve got used to it."

    Rui moved her hands she couldn''t budge in the real world, to show him.

    The virtual body she was using was one often used in hospitals, it''s a virtual body working on a special mechanism allowing it to move by using images in a human''s head. It''s mainly used for people with disabilities.

    ¡ª¡ªShe, who cannot move in the real world anymore, can move freely in Elysion. Realizing what he sees right now is just an illusion, his heart ached.

    "Now then... let''s go."

    Shaking off that sentiment, he held out his right hand.

    Even if you don''t cross your arms, at least hold her hand¡ª¡ªjust as Fuyuki advised him.

    "...yup."

    Her cheeks flushed slightly, Rui overlapped her hand with his. And their fingers firmly entangled, this was the so called lovers tie.

    "Ehehe..."

    Rui laughed slightly embarrassed for a moment, looking very lovely.

    Because she was so attractive Taiga turned away when they started to walk to hide his bright red face.

    ¡ª¡ªJust at this moment, he wanted her to forget about reality and enjoy herself.

    While feeling each other''s warmth from their connected hands, their date began.

    From that moment, the two of them toured a lot of places.

    Starting with window shopping, the two had a good time at karaoke and aquarium, after which they took a break at an open air caf¨¦''s terrace.

    Above a cup of tea that was a combination of taste data, Saionji Rui observed the boy in front of her.

    ...super cool, well not really. But I wonder why? My eyes are attracted to him. The difference between the front and the back, I wonder if I like the gap between his everyday self and the feeling he gives off occasionally?

    She had a strange taste, even if she said so herself. It was a pretty dangerous choice.

    Because her memories were ragged out, she didn''t know much about their relationship before, but somehow ¡ºSaionji Rui¡» felt he was someone she could get along with.

    In a broad, and shallow sense. She thought to herself he might be ¡ºSpecial¡» to her.

    And, noticing her gaze, their eyes met.

    "What is it? Is there something?"

    "No? Rui-san is pretty strange, I wasn''t aware I was staring at you?"

    "If Rui is strange, then both me and Fuyuki would be categorized as madmen."

    "Ahaha, that''s not true!"

    "I wonder about that. At the very least, the environments we were brought up in was abnormal."

    "Nn? it was something like special forces or something right?"

    "...asking about it while being perfectly calm is amazing but... calling it special forces, it isn''t all that wrong. I saw guns and military drones on a daily basis, it was a place people killed each other in reality. The place I was taken to... well, was the worst."

    Even so, he didn''t think about the everyday life he lost.

    Because he was going to go back there someday¡ª¡ªthat''s what he decided in his mind, he had a ¡ºWorld he should return to¡» so he didn''t despair.

    "...you probably heard about it from Fuyuki, but I was in unexpectedly old fashioned home."

    "Geez. Every country has unmanned weapons as their primary force nowadays, for people to go between such things, even if you trained it''s some insane stuff."

    A place where monsters with abnormal physical ability met.

    Taiga didn''t criticize the Renjou household that much. He learned sword techniques, and observing people around him he learned to handle and hone his body.

    "Can it be, that you were bullied?"

    "...why do you think so?"

    "Well, somehow. You had kind of a pained look. I wondered if you went through some bitter experience, or something like that."

    She''s sharp.

    His expressions barely changed, and yet he was read this precisely.

    "Well, it''s humans. There''s always some guy who hates you and might hurt you. ...though I repaid him after becoming strong."

    "Ahaha..."

    At that moment a clerk brought a strange object. It was a pile of fruits and ice cream that looked like an inverted triangle, and for some reason it didn''t spill out.

    "Sorry to keep you waiting. It''s the special parfait you ordered."

    "Ooh? it''s here, its here!"

    "Eh, what''s this. A parfait... is that a joke?"

    "Nfufufu? because the object has specified fixed coordinates it will not collapse."

    A huge parfait was soundly placed in front of them after arriving. Although its appearance was worthy of being called special, but no matter what, that was over the top.

    "Hmm... this is also a combined program stimulating the taste. Though when it isn''t placed in a belly, it feels somewhat creepy."

    "Hmph? stop thinking like that. Taiga should eat some as well. It''s delicious you know?"

    "...well then, just a bite."

    "Yay, it''s here, come on, a¡ªn!"

    Rui scooped up a mouthful, and held it out to Taiga.

    "Wai- Rui?!"

    "Hohoo, you see that''s the kind of store this is."

    He suddenly noticed that around them there were a lot of couples, some of them were eating the same parfait, and some were drinking stereotypical ¡ºCouple Juice¡» together.

    But¡ª¡ªher cheeks were red as she held out the spoon, and he noticed that her hand was trembling from nervousness, so he couldn''t say anything.

    It was just a moment later, but, he made his decision and ate the piece of parfait that was held out.

    "...it''s delicious."

    "Right?!"

    He thought it would be just sweet, but it wasn''t so. It was cold and sweet spreading in his mouth. It wasn''t only the taste that was programmed, there was also an after-taste and refreshing fragrance of fruits drifting around.

    "...ehehe, it''s an indirect kiss."

    "Goouh?! Y-you?!"

    "I wonder if rather than with Fuyuki, your first experience was with Rui-san?"

    "...excluding the time we were kids, it''s my first."

    Of course it was with Fuyuki. Rui knowing that, looked somewhat regretful.

    "I see. Looks like I can''t win against Fuyuki after all?"

    "I don''t think it''s a matter of winning or losing you know?"

    In the first place it was talk about when they were kids. Not something they did consciously.

    "That might be so. But... I just wanted to be number one."

    Especially, when it came to the person she liked¡ª¡ªbut she didn''t have courage to continue like that, she as of now couldn''t say that yet.

    Wanting to shake off those heavy thoughts from her mind, she changed the topic.

    "Speaking of which, when did you become friends with Kaichou-san?"

    "Nn? Ah¡ª... we met on the specialized course by chance. And we spoke quite often after that."

    "So that''s how it is. For some reason Kaichou-san, treats Taiga and Rui-san differently? or so I was thinking, I wonder if it''s my imagination? Even though she''s your senpai you get along with her really well."

    "...I-it''s your imagination. Come on, let''s hurry up and go to the next location."

    Faced with her sharp questions, Taiga changed the topic. Even though Rui had seen through him, ¡ºI''ll ask some other time¡» she thought as she scooped some more of the parfait.

    At the same time, in Kiritou Academy''s structure.

    "...kshun"

    A small sneeze echoed.

    Haya continued the development of the antibody program while sitting on the sofa in her room, ¡ºA cold at a time like this?¡» she thought and examined the vitals of her body.

    "All values normal... I wonder if someone is gossiping about me."

    She assumed it was some researcher... or it might be him. She took a small break from work until she settled down after thinking something unnecessary.

    As a lot of fatigue had accumulated, she laid down on the sofa and daydreamed while looking at the ceiling.

    ...I want to return to the laboratory, but I would probably be surrounded by other researchers and questioned.

    Because, blocking a large structure like Aries was unprecedented. Though at that time there was no other way than to do that, the reason didn''t matter.

    The fact that she developed that AI would add fuel to the fire as well.

    Currently, Haya was in a delicate position in the company.

    "Because of that I don''t have access to the facilities... seriously. Even though there''s no time!"

    One day. It was the grace time the company gave her.

    If the situation doesn''t improve Iora will be destroyed¡ª¡ªshe will lose. Last time she won the negotiations.

    They were people who want to see results above anything else. There''s twenty-three unconscious people, so they didn''t want to destroy her right away.

    If it was exposed that Saionji was subjected to ¡¶Jail¡· it would be bad. It would damage them a lot if news that they allowed a civilian to get involved in it got out.

    The forced transition she did already stood out. If it came out to the public it would cause a scandal involving Kiritou¡ª¡ªthat''s why the higher ups left it to her.

    They wanted to avoid any bad rumours about Kiritou. And absolutely avoid scandals. Although it was as if she put a rope around her own neck, she got a chance to save Iora.

    ¡ª¡ªShe had to stick with it. That''s what she thought. Not because she was her developer.

    Because Iora was her dream.

    Because the girl named Kiritou Haya was always lonely.

    She could not make any friends because of rumours about her household. The only ones who approached her were adults who wanted to get closer to Kiritou.

    Act like an adult¡ª¡ªthat''s what her father, who was on the top of the company ordered her. She was instructed not to give anyone a chance to take advantage of her, and like a tyrant, forbade her from acting childish.

    As the person in question, Haya, grew up, she got more and more isolated from the environment even if she didn''t intend to.

    That''s why, that was the only dream she had.

    ¡ª¡ªShe wanted a friend.

    As she grew up hiding her childishness behind an adult mask, she met someone who had similar thoughts. Asumi Aoko, and started a project.

    Making an existence she could be friends with¡ª¡ªa virtual personality with emotions, the development of project Iolite.

    That''s why she had to protect it. The form of a dream she had together with her late friend, even more so now that she has people who supported her, she has to protect it no matter what.

    "...just wait. I will definitely save you. No matter what I have to do."

    Haya said those words even though she knew no one will hear her anyway, and resumed work.

    They somehow managed to eat the huge parfait together, it wasn''t something one person could eat. And then they went on the streets once again.

    They enjoyed their time in a relaxed manner walking around, Rui showed interest in the accessories arranged on the stall.

    "Waa¡ª this one is wonderful..."

    Rui took a pendant shaped like sun in her hand. The design was quite elaborate, even Taiga who wasn''t familiar with this kind of thing was impressed.

    By the way, even though it''s called a stall, they didn''t sell anything in there. It was a place that could be used for sampling things, it was a mechanism that allowed you to order the thing in the real world.

    "That''s certainly beautiful. Also, it would look great on Rui."

    He looked at its price. It was a little high, but if it was just that much it should work out.

    "I''ll buy this. Send it to this place."

    "Eh...? Nonono you can''t! Aren''t you short on living expanses?"

    "It will work out if I fast a little. Also, it''s a present not only to commemorate the date, but also a sign of gratitude."

    "Gratitude?"

    "Ever since I moved, I was always taken care of by Rui. This is something like an appreciation gift... thank you, and I''ll be in your care from now on, that''s why please take it."

    He conveyed his feelings of gratitude to her upfront.

    He really was always taken care of by Rui. Things like school, meals, Aries, and also that she became Fuyuki''s friend. He couldn''t thank her enough.

    He was honestly embarrassed, but it was something he had to say properly.

    The person in question, Rui was dumbfounded. It was nothing special to her, she just did what she could do¡ª¡ªand yet as she was being sincerely thanked for that, she thought he was very cute as he said that.

    ...I feel that I can somehow understand what Fuyuki meant when she said he''s cute.

    At the same time, she understood she can''t refuse his feelings.

    "I see. Then, don''t hold back with your present."

    "Right."

    It would arrive in two days, for the time being until the purchase procedures were done, she got data with the specification of the accessory as a bonus. That meant she could use the same fashion in both the real world and Elysion.

    "Ah. This is perfect. Taiga, put it on me."

    "Eh? N-no at least do that yourse¡ª¡ª"

    "Come on, hurry up hurry up."

    While maintaining the momentum, she got close to him by a step and removed the pendant''s clasp.

    As Rui closed her eyes and looked up, looking as if she was prepared for a kiss, Taiga moved his hand behind her neck trying not to stare at her as much as possible.

    He tried to place the pendant on from the front. But, it didn''t seem to work because he was too stiff.

    "Taiga¡ª. It will be hard unless you get closer you know?"

    "Uu, n-no, I know that but..."

    But if he approaches her any more than that... he would get in close contact with various things. Especially with her large breasts¡ª¡ªis what he thought but couldn''t say.

    However, so as not to make Rui wait any longer, after a few more seconds of struggle, he made his decision and approached her by taking a step forward.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    "Hou..."

    From a third person''s point of view. It could only look like a couple hugging each other. That''s how close the two of them were. Soft twin hills of size incomparable to Fuyuki''s pressed against him slightly above his stomach, and a happy feeling spread through his body.

    I knew they are big but... t-this is dangerous...!

    It wasn''t just the feeling of her body, the sight and the smell were dangerous as well.

    Looking down from above, her body was destructively attractive, on top of that her chestnut fluffy hair smelled very good. If he was to compare it... right, it would be like the sun. Like a warm and soft smell of daylight.

    It would turn bad if he continued to stay like that. Taiga fastened the pendant''s clasp in a hurry. His sense of smell and touch were stimulated like crazy as he did that, and his spirit was worn out in various ways by the time he finished.

    "Ehehe..."

    Even so, seeing her smile was worth doing that hard work. That''s what he thought.

    Rui played with the pendant happily. Although she smiled happily as she looked at it, it suddenly darkened.

    "Looks like it''s about time..."

    They both knew it. No matter how much fun they have, it will eventually come to an end. While there was still light left in her heart, she declared.

    "...there''s one last place I want to go to."

    Rucchan, is probably at her limit...

    Fuyuki continued programming at a tremendous speed without moving an inch from the spot, or looking away from the screen even for a moment ever since she saw Taiga off, she checked the time.

    Four p.m. ¡ª¡ªit was the time Kiritou Haya estimated as a limit. Fuyuki looked at the ceiling and thought about the girl who was about to disappear in a distant world.

    Tenryo Fuyuki''s only friend, the only friend of a girl who used to be Karasuba Fuyuki, Saionji Rui.

    A person who reached out a helping hand to her after she was torn apart from her beloved brother, her important best friend.

    "...don''t worry and please wait. I''ll save you right away."

    Fuyuki went back to work after murmuring that.

    Right now there''s one thing she had to do, she couldn''t think about anything else.

    "Just a little more, one more stretch and it''s done."

    With her sky blue eyes shining, Fuyuki plunged into the sea of electrons.

    "Yup. No matter when I come it''s always beautiful here?"

    In the scenery dyed in scarlet, chestnut hair danced in accordance to Rui''s movements, it glittered reflecting particles of light cast by the setting sun.

    The light scattered every time her hair flowed in the strong wind, wrapping her in a gentle and warm ambience.

    "...yeah, certainly it''s beautiful."

    There is a place I want to go to¡ª¡ªsaying that she brought him to a viewing platform on a small hill in the outskirts of ¡¶Virtual New City¡·.

    There might have been some people there if it was a holiday, but there was no one there during daytime on a weekday. Also it wasn''t reality so there were no people who would come over on a whim.

    There were only two of them on the viewing platform looking down on the city.

    Taiga and Rui stood side by side looking at the fantasy-like city.

    "...why, do you think I chose to come here last?"

    The words she murmured melted away carried by the wind. Still, they easily reached him, Taiga answered her while looking at the scenery of the city spread below.

    "Because the scenery is beautiful, I guess."

    "Unfortunately, a miss... but isn''t it? It''s not like it isn''t beautiful. But the answer is incorrect."

    Only last pieces of memory were left in her head, even the recent memories were becoming a mess.

    Even Saionji''s Rui personality was becoming ambiguous. Together with her thoughts, her virtual body slowly stopped to respond and move.

    The appointed time, was about to come soon.

    "One day. When I found a person I like, I would end the date here¡ª¡ªthat''s what I decided. I''d prefer if it was reality, but in this state it can''t be helped."

    "Isn''t it all right. After returning to your body, you can go there together with the person you like."

    "Ahahaha, you don''t get it at all do you? Taiga. It''s important for it to be the first time. Seeing the sunset together... it feels like fate. Wonderful isn''t it?"

    "So it''s like that."

    "That''s how it is... can we sit down? In fact, it''s a bit hard to stand."

    They sat on a bench, and looked at the sun sinking behind the horizon in a relaxed manner. Then, Rui placed her head on Taiga''s shoulder.

    "....................................It''s scary, after all."

    He heard a small voice.

    "Even though, I should be prepared for it... but... the fact that I might disappear... is scary..."

    "...Rui."

    "Why did something like that happen!! It should have been just a normal day like usual!! Even though, ever since Taiga came every day became more interesting and fun, why do I have to go through something like this?!"

    The chain of emotions held in by force burst, it exploded.

    Not knowing why was it her, why wasn''t it someone else¡ª¡ªeven though she knew it was synonymous with hoping for someone else''s misfortune, she couldn''t help but think so.

    Tenryo Taiga was a boy who was crushed once in reality, so he understood her pain.

    "...I don''t want to disappear..."

    Large tears fell one after another, fear that has been suppressed until now, the things she was afraid of, surfaced one after another.

    ¡ª¡ªBecause he didn''t want to see such a face, that''s why he''s gotten stronger, didn''t he.

    "...the one who should have been cut is me, the one who was supposed to fade away should be me. Because you protected me, I can be here. That''s why¡ª¡ª the fact you were the one cut, I''ll make sure it wasn''t meaningless."

    There was a meaning in the fact that Tenryo Taiga remained and not Saionji Rui, he will prove that there was a reason for it and it will lead to something.

    "¡ª¡ªI swear. That''s why wait for me. It''ll be over soon."

    He will definitely save her¡ª¡ªhe won''t allow anyone to be sacrificed.

    The moment he feels that there''s a need to sacrifice something precious, his existence will become meaningless.

    "......aaa......"

    Sky blue eyes looked straight at her, as if sucking her in. It reminded her of a majestic sky encompassing everything, Rui made a small sigh.

    Yeah¡ª¡ªwith this, I''m done for?

    There was no doubt about it.

    Confirming it, while on verge of disappearing was just like her.

    Unnecessary things like suspension bridge effect came to her mind, but it didn''t matter. That''s why she saw him off with a wonderful smile on her face believing in him. Because she will see him again soon.

    She wiped the tears that spilled.

    In the beautiful orange sunset, the scarlet colour burned in her heart.

    Here and now, certainly in her heart,

    "¡ª¡ª¡ªYup. I will be waiting, my Prince."

    Saionji Rui closed her eyes.

    Her eyes closed as if she was asleep, they wouldn''t open no matter what.

    Basking in the sunset''s light, Taiga continued to hug her body as strength gradually left it.

    Translator''s Notes and References

    - 1.¡ü Ani here is usually translated as Brother, which is a kinda-mature way of calling an older brother and probably the term that''s most similar to English "Brother", Onii is more childish way of calling an older brother, so it''s usually distinctively left untranslated.

    - 2.¡ü Shuraba ¨C In other words, a battle, carnage, hell, that''s how battle between girls over one man is sometimes referred to in Japanese

 Volume 1, 5 - Area of the Fastest and the Strongest

    Volume 1, Chapter 5 - Area of the Fastest and the Strongest

    Part 1

    "Unh..."

    Awaiting Taiga''s return to the real world was his little sister who rolled around groaning, he wasn''t sure if it couldn''t be classified as cute¡ª¡ªprobably. He guessed.

    "...just when did this place turn into demon world?"

    If it had to be explained why he said that, it was because the room''s appearance changed completely from how it was in the morning.

    The number of windows floating in mid-air could already be counted in hundreds. Holograms were deployed in every direction, on every wall, and even on the ceiling.

    Reality and cyber intermingled, it looked quite chaotic.

    "Fuyuki?, are you alright¡ª?"

    He hesitated to get closer to the motionless Fuyuki, and called out to her. He wa s afraid of compromising and causing holograms to disappear in response to his movement. She was lying down on the floor fatigued and her glossy black hair was scattered on it, the pretty girl feeling she usually had was ruined because of that.

    When he placed a hand on her forehead but it was considerably hot, but she seemed alright. It wasn''t a cold, it was something like intelligence heat, caused by overworking her brain.

    "...seriously, so reckless."

    He sighed, then he crouched and picked up Fuyuki''s body.

    After that, he carried her to bedroom surprised about how small and light she was, and laid her down on the huge bed. Fuyuki curled up like a cat.

    "Unyaa..."

    She was in a state where she would need to keep her eyes open with small sticks. But she somehow shook off sleepiness and rubbed her eyes.

    "My head......it''s so heavy..."

    "Keep lying down like you are now, I''ll bring you something to drink."

    Taiga was familiar with how it felt to use the brain to its limit. Although he wanted to let her go sleep as soon as possible, it couldn''t be helped this time.

    He passed her a cup of coffee he brewed as a cure for drowsiness, he also added milk and gum syrup to it. Although it should still be quite bitter, bitterness should increase the effect and wake her up.

    "Uuhh... it''s been a while since I did my best like this..."

    Fuyuki continued to process vast amounts of information in her head ever since yesterday, except for a moment she took to eat and take a shower. Also, she was thinking at an exceptionally fast rate.

    While Taiga''s weapon was physical speed, Fuyuki''s weapon was the speed she was thinking at.

    A capability of processing many things in parallel, ability to deal with multiple events that was far beyond a normal person''s, and an intuition, a sixth sense when it came to cyber-related things.

    On par with Taiga''s ¡ºEye¡» in reality, she had a ¡ºEye¡» for the Elysion."

    It wasn''t some kind of supernatural power, it was just using the human brain to its very limits.

    But it didn''t change the fact that it was quite absurd.

    If her brain was used for a long time, she could collapse and wake up only three day after.

    "Good job, Fuyuki. Thanks."

    Taiga knew just how tired she was, so he stroked her head.

    Funya?, she enjoyed the feeling with a charming expression on her face for a moment, and shortly after she corrected her posture. The look in her eyes became serious.

    "...well then, let''s get down to the main issue."

    Taiga retracted his hand and looked at her, Fuyuki operated the terminal, opening a window that projected a crystal.

    The mysterious crystal changed its colour depending on his viewing angle as it floated in front of Taiga''s eyes, and a small window emerged from its body.

    ¡¶"Submit permission to install program ¡¶ Synchro Infinity ¡· sent from Tenryo Fuyuki. ¡º YES ¡» or ¡º NO ¡»?"¡·

    "Let me say this first. This program will definitely be of help to Brother during his fight with the Reaper. It perfectly fixes the malfunctions with Brother''s body."

    Even though fatigue obscured her thinking as she spoke. Fuyuki had to tell that much, she formed words while forcing her own mind.

    "The studies Little Sister was involved in while at Karasuba was ¡ºSynchronization of virtual and real body¡» and she helped to make this application. But because of the high risk research has been frozen. ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡· is without a doubt a dangerous program a researcher should never create."

    "...dangerous, and more specifically?"

    "Life-threatening level dangerous."

    His little sister answered instantly as she stared right at him.

    ¡ª¡ªIt was not a domain he should step into with half-assed determination.

    "When it comes to risk, it probably exceeds ¡¶Jail¡·. One wrong move and you will become a cripple."

    Fuyuki looked completely serious, and it seemed like she was not exaggerating.

    "This program, ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡· is a high risk no return for a normal person, completely pointless for them to use. But Elysion specific mechanism works in a way that has a negative effect on Brother."

    "Specific mechanism?"

    "Half of Elysion was made for entertainment purposes, factors that induce negative feelings have been eliminated as much as possible. They are either cut off or restricted, pain is a prime example."

    "Well, no one would like to feel pain in a structure like ¡¶Aries¡· ."

    You can get cut, crushed, burned, and so on. If those feelings were left unchanged people would not be able to stand pain.

    "¡¶Aries¡· provides physical ability assistance according to rank, although it''s a system original to the structure that helps you enjoy it, at the same time it tunes the virtual body making it deviate from original."

    It wasn''t reality, so they dropped what was unnecessary.

    That''s why it was impossible to tune a virtual body to be exactly same as a real one.

    "In the first place, a normal person doesn''t use their body''s full performance, so a slight difference does not affect them... but it''s different when it comes to Brother''s physical ability that was trained to the limit, and when it comes to our ¡ºEyes¡»."

    For someone who has reflexes and dynamic vision far beyond a normal person, extra processing is nothing but an obstruction. An error appears when the movement intended and actual movement of the body differ, expanding little by little and eventually ends up disconnecting them.

    "So that''s why I lost feeling in my arm."

    "Yes. That''s how it is, the effect this program has is simple. In order to disable the program that creates that difference, it will continue to hack you."

    "Hack... me?"

    "Full explanation would take three hours, but I''ll omit that. There are two main risks. One, the blocked pain is released and the damage dealt to the electronic body is transferred to you. If your arm is cut off, you will receive mental damage as if it really was cut off. If you receive a horrible amount of damage, your spirit might collapse."

    Even though it has no effect on his real body if his virtual body is damaged, the pain itself will still damage his spirit.

    A wound someone received in the past and the phantom pain unexpectedly appearing afterwards is a perfect example.

    "Also the other one. Because it continues to hack so that it can trigger the effect, the burden on the brain is tremendous. Little Sister tried it but only withstood five minutes¡ª¡ªthat was as long as it went on until my brain started overheating. In Brother''s and Little Sister''s case, because of our ¡ºEyes¡» the time limit is shorter than usual."

    "Another thing that''s restricting in various ways, huh."

    Receiving attacks is bad on the time limit, and the time is further shortened if it goes through.

    "...I''m sorry, Brother."

    Fuyuki apologized and bowed her head.

    "I tried to reduce the risk somehow, but in the end I couldn''t do it. Having Brother fight while using such a flawed program, Little Sister is the worst. I am really sorry..."

    Painfully aware of her own shortcoming, Fuyuki continued with her head bowed down.

    If she was the one who used the defective crystal, it wouldn''t matter because she would only risk herself.

    However, this time the one who will be using the program was Taiga. The one risks and the one who is exposed to danger is the person was front of her.

    That''s why, she had to say it.

    "...whether you accept it or not, I leave the decision to Brother. If you don''t trust this program, and decide it''s too risky¡ª¡ª"

    *click* ¡ª¡ªhe interrupted his little sister''s speech by tapping ¡º YES ¡». Fuyuki was surprised, but Taiga didn''t hesitate.

    "I swore. That I would definitely save her. Life-threatening? I am here thanks to Rui, I won''t hesitate with just this much."

    If he was unable to save her, Tenryo Taiga wouldn''t be able to ever forgive himself. If he broke his promise, he wouldn''t be able to live anymore. It was no different from dying.

    "Also, I believe in Fuyuki."

    "...haa, geez, Brother is really hard to handle."

    Fuyuki sighed, but she continued somewhat happily.

    The crystal shattered turning into small particles and was sucked into Taiga''s terminal.

    ¡¶Install started. Three minutes left.¡·

    That''s what was displayed in the window, it switched into a status screen that displayed progress. They could only wait.

    And, Fuyuki''s body suddenly tilted. He wondered if it was because she has done everything she had to do. It looked like she could no longer fight back against fatigue, and it surged all at once. Her eyelids started to close.

    Thanking his little sister for the hard work she has done, he gently pat her head.

    "...leave the rest to me. I will definitely save Rui."

    Calmed down by his words, her drowsiness increased as he pat her head¡ª¡ªand Fuyuki smiled faintly before she entered the dream world.

    "I believe in you. Brother."

    Saying just that much, Fuyuki closed her eyes, and started to breathe sleepily a few seconds later. He covered her looking at her relieved expression, and left the bedroom.

    He entered the dive room again, and contacted Haya through the terminal as he prepared to log in.

    "I''m prepared on this side."

    ¡´"Okay. Then please come to the school''s structure at once. The place will be that classroom. I''m going to break the locks so you can come from the front."¡µ

    All of his senses gradually switched over as he signalized the dive start.

    After logging in safely, he confirmed the school''s structure as his target and¡ª¡ªhe stepped into the compartment that was as deserted as in reality.

    Come to think of it, the first time I met Iora was here.

    At that time, on a whim he just turned on a hologram projector. She didn''t appear properly back then and her figure only flashed for a moment.

    ...if that didn''t happen, I wouldn''t be acquainted with Haya now.

    If he didn''t meet Iora back then, he wondered what would be happening now¡ª¡ªuseless thoughts filled his head as he tried to escape from reality.

    Maybe nothing would be happening now. Such a convenient illusion came to him, but it faded away soon after.

    "You came."

    The privatized classroom has become a weird space where a lot of windows floated all over.

    Haya was immersed in work while sitting on the sofa like usual, she still wore the suit he saw the other day.

    Because she had the appearance of a Japanese-style beauty, it didn''t fit her.

    "A little longer and I''ll be done. Just wait for a moment."

    Haya continued to work while operating at dozens of windows at once, at an incredible pace without looking his way. The fact that she completely concentrated on her work was obvious.

    He sat on an edge of the sofa as to not to get in the way. Taiga looked around daydreaming as he had nothing to do in particular. And, as he looked around he saw something that made him feel uncomfortable.

    "...nn?"

    A lot of windows repeatedly appeared and disappeared¡ª¡ªbetween them, he noticed that one didn''t change. He leaned towards it curiously, for some reason it wasn''t operated.

    It was a picture. And on it, there were two girls.

    Haya and... Iora? No, but why is she wearing Kiritou uniform?

    It looked like Haya was younger, he wondered if it was taken one or two years ago. But it didn''t matter. What he was curious about, was what they were wearing.

    Haya aside, it was weird that Iora was wearing a uniform. Also the quality of Iora who was captured in this photo, felt like she wasn''t a hologram. It was as if, she was a living human.

    What did that mean¡ª¡ªhe wanted to look closer, but the photo suddenly disappeared.

    "Peeping is not good."

    Haya was staring at him. Apparently she finished her work, all the windows she used for development disappeared the same way.

    "Did you finish?"

    "We don''t have time to test it, there''s no choice but to check if during the battle. Theoretically it should delete Iora''s ¡¶Jail¡· if she''s damaged enough."

    As opposed to blood-like crimson, the crystal she had was sky blue.

    Though Taiga received it on reflex, it was sucked into his body the instant he touched the crystal. And with that, the installation was complete.

    "I see. Then... next, is my job."

    With that, everything was ready.

    Taiga manipulated the inventory window of ¡¶Aries¡· and changed into a long coat, at the same time he checked if his nodachi showed up by his waist.

    "...about the picture, don''t you want to know?"

    Haya asked cautiously as he was preparing for battle. After looking back at her, Taiga honestly answered.

    "I won''t say I''m not curious about it, but it seems that even if I asked, I wouldn''t get an answer."

    Just by looking at her, he could tell that she was depressed and in a bad state. He wasn''t that insensitive to probe any further in that direction.

    "You too are suffering because of something. I think you want to help Iora no matter what... that''s enough for you to cooperate with us. So both of us have something we want from the other."

    They are partners who had just met a few days earlier. There was no reason to trust each other.

    "One of us uses the other. That''s the relationship between us right now, right?''

    He simplified it, no, he simplified it too much, even Haya was surprised by what he said.

    "...that''s surprising. Looking at you your relationship with your little sister and Saionji-san , I thought you easily trust people and pushing an idea on you would be piss easy. You''re more of a realistic person than I thought you were."

    "If it''s to save Rui, I won''t care about what you are really thinking."

    In these words, Haya noticed a glimpse of a similar nature to hers.

    Probably, in order to save Saionji Rui, this boy will act without hesitation. Just like her, who didn''t care if she was to make the entire company into her enemy if it was to save Iora.

    Both of them had similar thoughts and determination.

    ...why is she that attached to Iora, I think I can understand a little.

    Part of the wall changed as Haya snapped her fingers, it changed into a shining white door. It was big enough for one person to pass through it, and he couldn''t see what''s inside.

    "This place and ¡¶Aries¡· are temporarily connected. As soon as you go through, I''ll disconnect it. You''ll be able to contact me from the other side, when you''re done, call me."

    "Yeah, got it."

    Taiga took a step towards the gate he couldn''t see anything through. And he heard a voice from behind his back.

    "...Taiga, it''s an order. You must definitely rescue Iora. If all my effort goes to waste, I won''t forgive you."

    "I get it. It''s not just yours, I also carry Fuyuki''s share over here."

    Taiga entered the transfer door, setting his foot into ¡¶Aries¡· once again.

    "¡ª¡ªI decided long time ago. That I won''t lose ever again."

    Part 2

    *rustle* ¡ª¡ªHe felt hard soil with his feet. Apparently it was daytime in ¡¶Aries¡·, the sun overhead was shining fiercely.

    Here and there on the plains, huge swords were stuck in it. Even though they fought with the Reaper in this place the previous day, it felt like it was a long time ago. The darkness was much more dense in this place before.

    ...the date, it was really fun.

    It was the first time for him to spend his time like that with a girl of the same age. In between the memories of his brutal daily life, it was a memory that shined brightly.

    Living together with his little sister, playing with a friend, everyone laughing together.

    Such a normal, every day life was extremely precious, he understood that. That''s why¡ª¡ª

    "...I won''t forgive you bastard"

    In the direction he looked to, was someone with long blood-red hair. The large sickle almost as long as her dress was lowered, an existence that looked like a girl.

    He received no answer.

    Dead¡ª¡ªher eyes had no light in them, no intent, and her hair colour was also in harmony with that word. There, was a Grim Reaper in front of him.

    ¡´"Virtual body confirmed."¡µ

    Her head rotated to face his way, an inorganic cold sound was emitted.

    That figure, that sound, they caused a tremendous anger to well up inside of him.

    That thing robbed him of it.

    The daily life he recovered after waiting for eight years, her bright and warm smile that reminded him of the sun.

    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    3, 2, 1... together with the countdown he roused all the cells in his body.

    ¡´"Assessment of situation, experiment re¡ª¡ª"¡µ

    "¡ª¡ªA thank you gift, for what happened when we first met!!!"

    In an instant, he jumped right in front of the Reaper and dealt an explosively powerful blow to her with his left fist.

    He ignored her unnecessary operation and stopped it with his fist, the Reaper barely reacted to it. As her shoulder was hit her delicate body was blown over twenty meters away.

    If it was the real world, that blow would have crushed her shoulder bone.

    Whether it was caused by ¡¶Jail¡·, or whether it was Iora''s original characteristic, the Reaper was more durable and the blow wasn''t that effective. There wasn''t a single scratch on her, not to mention it being fatal.

    The Reaper tried to stand up, but was bound at a furious speed,

    "And one more blow!!!"

    And with his tremendous speed he drilled his fist into her body, and slammed her into the ground.

    Her back was nailed to the ground, and a loud impact echoed, in the middle of which was the Reaper. But, even with that she barely sustained any damage.

    ¡´"Resistance confirmed. Rendering target harmless recommended."¡µ

    "Wa¡ª¡ª"

    Taiga intuitively realized that it didn''t work, and he half-turned his body while clicking his tongue, and looked for the sickle''s strike. While trying to cut her neck at the same time, he blocked the sickle.

    That''s as far as the first move can get me.

    After receiving the strike with his sword, he moved his left leg and kicked the Reaper''s right leg from the flank.

    Because her posture was not too good a light hit was enough. As she was standing up, Taiga held his nodachi vigilant and kicked off the ground.

    *CLANG*!! Both of them jumped at the same time at their prey, and a high pitched metallic sound rang out. It was just slightly, but the nodachi had less power behind it and was pushed back, the cutting edge of the sickle grazed Taiga''s clothes and hit the ground.

    ¡ª¡ªHe knew. That as he is right now he couldn''t win against Reaper.

    Rather than to say he was weaker, it was that he couldn''t use his greatest strength.

    There was no significant difference between their speed, which was his greatest weapon. If he received a blow from the front it was obvious he would be pushed back.

    The time limit of his trump card, ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡· was five minutes. It could be shorter depending on usage.

    Which meant, if he uses it carelessly the risk would be too high.

    There''s no other way than to endure it for now...!

    If he makes a mistake with timing, it will be Taiga''s defeat.

    The sickle and nodachi met many, many times, and Taiga was forced back every time.

    Even so, Taiga parried the sharp sickle strikes without wasteful movements, deflecting them, and attacked Reaper again.

    Rather than to win, it was offensive to make sure he won''t lose.

    Although she couldn''t have guessed Taiga''s intention, Reaper''s attacks continued to gain momentum, and Taiga paid full attention as well.

    "Nh...this brute force, where does it come from...!"

    In response to the sickle''s slash from the front, he retreated ten meters away from her.

    They had exchanged around thirty blows already, yet neither of them even grazed each other. While the Reaper pushed him back with her bodily ability, Taiga competed with his skills and experience.

    No matter how strong the Reaper is, her attacks were simple. When it came to defending himself it was not difficult.

    "Fuu¡ª¡ª"

    It might be called a stalemate, but the fact that it continued was because he devoted himself to defence. He didn''t use any tricks or skills to breakthrough.

    Taiga opened his endlessly sky blue eyes wide,

    "It''s my turn from now on!!!!"

    He threw over a meter long nodachi with all his strength.

    If the opponent was a human who had feelings, their face would be dyed with shock.

    Because the blade rotated at a high speed like a deep blue bullet. Even if it was Elysion there should be a limit.

    Less than a second before it reached her neck¡ª¡ªthe sickle reacted just in time to flick away the sword.

    Even though the Reaper was amazing to be able react to the blade flying at a high speed intercepting it while maintaining a posture she can''t use much force in. It wasn''t a feat a human could possibly pull off.

    "Haaa! You''re full of openings standing like that¡ª¡ª!!!"

    And, using that opening the boy delivered a blow with his fist to her.

    As if the flow of time was completely different, as if he knew the reaction of the opponent beforehand, Taiga launched at her and sunk his fist deep into the Reaper''s unprotected belly like it was an artillery shell.

    The posture the Reaper was standing in wasn''t fit for defending herself, and she rotated three times¡ª¡ª

    "Fly away!!"

    As she rotated, and together with his loud voice, she was hit by an uppercut and blown away into the sky.

    It wasn''t just muscle strength. It was also strength derived from using his legs like a spring, amplified after passing through the muscles of his entire body, and a twisting the punch hit her internal organs, crushing her.

    ¡´"Body damage percentage, 10%."¡µ

    The Reaper''s body bent and was thrown up ten meters above the ground, *crackle*, and an electromagnetic wave rippled through her.

    The Reaper emitted a sound, a scream from her mouth. It seemed like the damage she accumulated was recognized as pain. But he didn''t intend to go easy on her.

    He bent his knees lightly, and kicked off the ground, jumping.

    Taiga easily overcame gravity and grasped his nodachi that was flying in the air with perfect timing, and hit the girl''s body with the speed of sound.

    ¡´"Body damage percentage, 15%."¡µ

    The supersonic slash caused a shockwave, and the Reaper screamed once again. While she tried to raise her sickle and resist, Taiga grabbed her hand not allowing it.

    "It''s the first aerial fight, Reaper!!!"

    He twisted his entire body, and slashed with all his strength at the Reaper''s small body, aiming for the shoulder.

    The Reaper had no way to resist, and was knocked straight into the ground head on like lightning.

    The continuous attacks would kill a normal human ten times already.

    Taiga landed after finishing the chain of inhuman techniques, and stared at the ground as dust has risen from the shockwave after Reaper''s fall.

    His, swordsmanship¡ª¡ªit wasn''t just techniques that only used the sword.

    His entire body was a weapon, at times he used solid slashes, but his swordsmanship specialized single-mindedly in destruction. Originally, it was just human opponents, so using the sword was enough, but in modern times there were many mechanical dolls to fight. And as such inhuman opponents appeared the swordsmanship techniques changed.

    I don''t know if I''ll defeat her with this...

    He didn''t think she would come intact from that. There should be some damage dealt.

    He looked at the other side of the dust cloud vigilant¡ª¡ªand stood up all at once.

    Find her, if he doesn''t, he''ll die.

    As a split second alarm bell rang in his head warning him of the threat, he jumped to the side. A crimson slash cleaved with enough force to blow away the dust, and engraved itself into the ground on the plain ahead.

    ¡´"Body damage percentage, 20%. Experiment interrupted, target extermination recommended."¡µ

    The Reaper rose up like a ghost while holding a sickle that swayed like a flame.

    ¡¶Jail¡· that was confined within the sickle leaked out, looking like a crimson flame.

    Seeing the red sickle slowly rise up, Taiga shouted.

    "...flying slashes, give me a break with such an outrageous thing¡ª¡ª!!"

    While spitting curses, he kicked off the ground and accelerated.

    The two slashes released just that moment cut into the earth where Taiga was earlier and left deep scars in the ground.

    Without stopping his legs, he ran in a circle around the Reaper while maintaining a certain distance. The Reaper casually continued to release a storm of slashes while aiming at Taiga.

    "If I''m hit by this I''ll be eaten by a virus and it''ll be the end! This is so messed up damn it!"

    The Reaper''s attack was unusual enough to cause Taiga to lose his composure. Even so, he still continued to observe the attack and analyse it in his head.

    The speed of the slashes, the interval between two blows, the time required to rotate and how proportional it was to distance... he continued to cram it all into his head, and instinctively devised tactics.

    He wasn''t stupid enough to think about slowing down even for an moment, he instinctively knew that.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!"

    As he was getting closer to her, she thrust at his belly

    Taiga obstructed the thrust with the sheath, and as he dashed she released another slash. He avoided it in the very last moment as it almost grazed his cheek, and jumped to the side with all his strength avoiding the next two slashes.

    The Reaper tried to fix the direction of her attacks, and continuous strikes stopped for a moment. He closed the distance aiming at that opening in an instant.

    With a sheath in his hand, he stopped after reaching her and intended to cut her in two. But then, in a distance just a step away, it appeared.

    "Wha¡ª¡ª?!"

    From the sickle the Reaper was holding, the crimson substance that covered it bubbled violently. And pebbles small enough to fit in the palm of a hand emerged one after another.

    He could never forget that. That''s what Rui was using¡ª¡ª

    As Taiga was stunned and showed an opening, multiple stones turned into blades, and his visibility was dyed white.

    Part 3

    "...ou....aah...?"

    Suddenly struck with an unpleasant sensation, Tenryo Fuyuki woke up.

    She raised her drowsy body up, and squinted as the sunset burned her eyes. She rubbed her eyes and stretched as drowsiness weighed on her shoulders, probably because she didn''t sleep long.

    "...Brother...is...?"

    Half of her consciousness looked for warmth.

    Fuyuki left the bedroom while walking barely conscious and unsteadily and headed towards the dive room. She found her brother sitting on the arclight unmoving, she sat comfortably on his lap.

    But as she woke up little by little, she remembered what the current situation was.

    "...Brother is probably in the middle of battle."

    If he was sitting in the arclight like that, there was no doubt he was in Elysion. Even though she really wanted to go and assist him, she overused her eyes, was too dizzy, and was unable to use much strength.

    After starting up the terminal, she contacted the other party that was registered just the day before. She called a few times, before the other person picked up and she appeared in a window.

    "Hello Student Council President. Is everything alright?"

    ¡´"Ah, it''s Fuyuki-san. Did something happen?"¡µ

    The other person was the student council president, Kiritou Haya. She had the usual graceful smile on her face.

    To be honest, Fuyuki wanted to ask this woman a lot of things.

    Like, how and when did she meet her brother, why do they get along so well, or why does she change her atmosphere and tone as if she was hiding behind a fa?ade.

    But, she didn''t care about it right now.

    "I was wondering how is it on that end. Is brother in ¡¶Aries¡· already?"

    ¡´"Yes, he probably engaged in combat with the Reaper already. In case he loses, there''s no way to check on him, since I cannot connect to him from here I don''t know any details."¡µ

    "Is that so. So there''s no use."

    Just like Fuyuki, Haya was clearly worried as well. Although she didn''t know much about her, it was obvious that she held sincere feelings towards Taiga.

    ¡´"That''s surprising. Aren''t you worried about your brother?"¡µ

    "I am worried. I want to rush over there right away."

    She said that and ended the call.

    "...Little Sister''s feelings, even if I told her, she wouldn''t understand."

    With her brain exhausted like that, she would only be a nuisance to him. Because she knew that, she could only suppress these feelings and wait.

    Ever since that day eight years ago, when rather than her life her heart was saved, Tenryo Fuyuki could only think of him.

    She wanted to support him, she wanted to live together with him, hoping for just that. Having to suppress those feelings¡ª¡ªshe definitely wouldn''t understand.

    Gently, she held her unconscious brother''s hand.

    Since electrical signals conveying to his senses were cut off, no matter what happened in reality, it wasn''t transmitted to her brother who was in Elysion.

    "...please, you must absolutely win."

    Even so, Fuyuki continued to hold his hand.

    Right now, her brother was fighting in a distant place, fighting for her best friend''s life that was held captive.

    She continued to pray for him.

    This is... seriously bad.

    Tenryo Taiga looked up at the pure white sky, and calmly grasped his own state. As dozen of swords pierced the ground around him and exploded, even though he was seriously injured he felt weird, his mouth formed a smile.

    "...she got me there... I didn''t think, that she could use Rui''s creative stones..."

    He should have known. Iora had a high level learning ability. She probably imitated Rui''s creative stones after seeing them in the previous battle.

    Fortunately, since he wasn''t hit with ¡¶Jail¡·, his mental structure wasn''t affected. However, the blades exploded at a close distance and buried his body, he avoided collapsing but his body interference dropped to nearly 20%, and he was immobile.

    ¡´"Target immobile, resuming experiment."¡µ

    *rustle*, he heard footsteps through the sand, and he saw a shadow in his field of view.

    Attempting to stab Taiga who was lying on the ground, she swung the crimson scythe high up.

    He knew that it will be all over once he''s hit by that, but his body wouldn''t move. He could only look at it.

    ...again, will I fail to save someone?

    Together with that thought, he saw a flashback of what happened a long time ago.

    ¡ª¡ªLong time ago, to the day he cursed himself.

    It was an unusual day, where both of his parents had a day off together. Feeling it was a good idea, thought that they should take a picture together, and unlike his indoor little sister, he thought of going out together with their father ¡º"Let''s all go out together as a family"¡», she said.

    It was the first time in few years that all four of them went out together.

    While their mother was a famous painter, their father was a man who devoted himself to work and couldn''t spend too much time with them.

    They were in high spirits because it was the first time they went out like that in a while. He walked together with his little sister and parents. He also remembered the happy, smiling faces of his parents as they looked at them.

    Because they didn''t have a car, they were limited to using public transport. Unfortunately, there was an accident on the road to the station.

    He was in a position that only allowed him to save his little sister in time, he decided it couldn''t be helped and left them to die.

    ¡ª¡ªFuyuki knew everything up to that point.

    What happened after that, even Fuyuki didn''t know. An episode that shaped Tenryo Taiga as he was.

    A heavy truck rushed ignoring the signal, and he jumped away while holding his little sister.

    He embraced Fuyuki as to not show her what happened afterwards.

    But he continued to look at his parents, because he was responsible.

    And, the world has stopped.

    He could not believe his eyes. It wasn''t something a child should see.

    Shouldering the deaths of two people, he accepted the consequences of his choice.

    Even though he hated himself and resented himself for it, he believed in his choice.

    ¡ª¡ªThey smiled.

    The parents that were left behind to die by their son ¡ºWe''re glad that you are safe¡», and smiled from the bottom of their hearts.

    Seeing that smile, something cracked inside his mind.

    Don''t fuck with me.

    Why are you smiling.

    Why are you smiling at someone who left you to die.

    I beg you, resent me. Curse me. Hate me. If you don''t¡ª¡ªthese feelings, won''t ever leave me.

    While looking at their smile as they were squashed, he felt like his heart was covered with something black.

    Hatred.

    It was hatred he had for himself, for being relieved from seeing his mother smile. His thinking circuitry was overloaded with hatred for himself, unable to forgive himself for leaving them to die.

    He couldn''t forgive it.

    His heart screamed, demanding punishment.

    He hated himself, the one who couldn''t save his parents, who was relieved seeing them smile as he left them to die. He hated himself more than anything else in the world.

    That''s why he pursued strength.

    So that next time he could save everyone, in order to change himself, in order to punish himself.

    Together with that curse he continued to pursue strength, a commandment he wasn''t allowed to forget even for a moment.

    Aiming for a height that a human could never reach, and yet putting absolute effort into it.

    ¡ª¡ªNever again, he will allow this body of his to lose.

    And with that, his thinking came back to reality.

    Move.

    He clenched his teeth strong enough to break his teeth. You are not allowed to be defeated, as long as you are alive, put some strength in those muscles and continue walking.

    But, he wouldn''t make it in time.

    ¡¶"¡ª¡ª¡ª Activate"¡·

    The blade was swung down on him.

    If he''s pierced, it will all be over, his mental structure will be eaten out, he won''t save Rui, and he won''t be able to save Iora. He will betray the trust of Fuyuki and Haya who bestowed him with their programs.

    ¡¶"Scanning off, connection on."¡·

    He won''t allow such a thing, he will cut through reality.

    Whether it''s reality or a theory, Tenryo Taiga was not allowed to lose.

    No matter how hopeless the situation was. That was the punishment Tenryo Taiga imposed on himself.

    That''s why, it didn''t matter if it wasn''t reality. It didn''t matter who is his opponent. He will take it all down by force.

    What awaited him was going beyond the limits, an area no one should ever step in.

    Sound, light, time, all of it was left behind¡ª¡ª

    "¡ª¡ª¡ªI PROMISED THAT I WILL SAVE HER... DON''T GET IN MY WAYYYYYYYYYY!!!"

    ¡¶"Synchro Infinity ¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!"¡·

    Together with the severe pain of his brain circuits burning out, ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡· activated in response to his call.

    At the same time he kicked up at the Reaper who held the sickle, bounced from the ground pushing himself out with a single hand, and twisted his body avoiding the blade which only cut his clothing.

    All of that, in a split of a second.

    Without stopping, he carried through striking back at the Reaper. But once again without any hesitation the sickle was swung at his body.

    There was no skill, no technique in it, it was just a strike with superhuman brute force.

    But, it was an attack that Taiga could easily see through and avoid by moving his neck lightly. And, a flash of his nodachi cut Reaper the once again, after that followed a roundhouse kick.

    Now that the difference issue was resolved, both Taiga''s ¡¶Eye¡·, and his body could demonstrate their full performance.

    The overwhelming dynamic vision that could capture rifle bullets in slow motion, instantly saw through the Reaper''s attacks, and made it possible to avoid them just by using small movements.

    ¡´"Body damage percentage, 30%. target''s complete annihilation recommended."¡µ

    The Reaper retreated and her red sickle''s luster increased gradually. It was more vivid, and the density eerily increased. And she tried to launch slashes at him from long distance.

    "Too slow!!!"

    In an instant, Taiga closed the distance between them and pierced her shoulder with his sword, and sealed the movement of her shoulder using it as a wedge. The Reaper''s arm stopped momentarily.

    "Renjou Sword Technique, fifth form¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡¶Hien¡·!"1

    Not missing the opportunity, the nodachi''s blade was gradually covered in blue flames as he said that.

    Cutting her and deeply penetrating her shoulder with brute force, he went behind her at the same time slashing her open back.

    The Reaper tried to counter-attack after turning around and cutting his neck, but that motion was sealed as he grabbed her arm. He upset her posture by driving his knee into her abdomen, and cut her body again.

    Fifth form ¡¶Hien¡· wasn''t a fixed type technique.

    To describe it simply, it would be fluent continuous attacks.

    It didn''t allow the enemy to find an opportunity to fight back, it was a swordsmanship skill that tightly combined both swordplay and hand-to-hand combat.

    "OOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

    The surging anger was released together with the roar.

    Reaper wielded her scythe as she tried to resist, but it was deflected away by the nodachi. It never reached Taiga''s body, it was as if he saw the future.

    The nodachi clad in blue flames delivered slashes at the speed of sound as he danced wildly like a demon.

    Whenever the sickle moved, it was intercepted, and the cuts were continuously engraved on the Reaper''s body.

    ¡´"Body damage percentage, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!!!!"¡µ

    "Guoh?!"

    He was forced to retreat because of the acoustic bomb he was hit with before, but this time at close range. At the same time the Reaper emitted creative stones which became blades.

    It would be possible to cut someone''s throat to prevent that in the real world, but it wouldn''t work in Elysion. It was a movement that could not be stopped even if he noticed it with his ¡¶Eye¡·, an unstoppable voice.

    Now that Taiga was in a state of full synchronization, the sound attack that could break a glass window, was felt by him as if it was reality.

    "I...it hurts, does this bastard intend to tear my eardrums...?"

    He couldn''t block his ears because he used both of his hands to block the blades, his head shook and vibrated.

    That''s when, *clank*, pain assaulted his head as if his skull was cracked.

    "Gah...hua...kuhh¡ª¡ª"

    A massive headache hit his head, he felt like his nerves were directly assaulted inside of it. His visibility was impaired because of pain, and he felt so weak he almost fell on the ground.

    "Hurry up... I don''t have time..."

    It was probably an indication of the ¡ºTime limit¡». Even though it was only activated for a minute, the usage of ¡¶Eye¡· seemed like it was a bigger burden than expected.

    He faced the Reaper while suffering a continuous headache. He faced his opponent while enduring the pain. Around thirty creative stones were prepared.

    "...just a little more. I beg you, just a little more!"

    He kicked off the ground and flew like a bullet.

    All creative stones simultaneously turned into swords, axes, and spears. Taiga intercepted a minimum of them and left his body to deal with the others. He bisected four linked spears in front of him, and approached the enemy.

    He should be easily able to fend off the sickle now.

    Convinced of his victory, he clenched the sword.

    A moment later, he realized his blunder.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª *shiing*

    He heard a sound of metal rubbing against metal behind him, and something entangled with both of his arms.

    "What?!"

    What he saw, were iron chains that constricted his arms.

    He saw it the other day, one of Rui''s Creative Stones variant. He knew it.

    But,

    Just when, when did she throw that thing, how did I overlook it¡ª¡ª

    His enemy didn''t have much time. There''s no way he could have overlooked it with his eyes. He should have seen it.

    There was only a moment. Only a fraction of a second, a time when his visibility became zero.

    That time. She threw it the moment I closed my eyes because of pain.

    The binds weren''t strong, he could tear them off if he put some strength in it.

    In front of him, the Reaper raised her sickle. At this rate if he tries to break the chains and avoid it he won''t make it in time. And he couldn''t completely deflect it without both of his arms. He could only release one of them.

    He might have been able block it a little while ago with one arm, but not anymore.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª The blocked pain is released, the damage dealt to the electronic body is transferred to you. If your arm is cut off, you will receive mental damage as if it really was cut off ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    He recalled Fuyuki''s words.

    Now that he was in a full synchro state he is more sensitive then a normal person, if his arm were cut, it will become unusable without a doubt.

    And that wasn''t an enemy he could win against with one arm.

    But if it was the body that experienced being cut, there was hope.

    "...haa."

    He prepared himself for it long ago in order to win. Taiga laughed fearlessly, and he received the sickle''s blow directly from the front.

    *slosh* ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "Gbouh...!"

    The cutting edge tore into him from the shoulder and crushed his lung, and cut aiming for his heart.

    He felt his body falling apart. He felt pain as if he was skewered with burning rods and a nausea welling up from his internal organs. Gritting his teeth trying not to lose consciousness because of pain, he grabbed the sickle deep in his belly with his right hand.

    He will definitely not let it go¡ª¡ªthe sickle suppressed by force didn''t even budge.

    After he made a half step, it sank into his waist.

    On his palm appeared the antibody program he received from Haya, he clenched his fist.

    "Just how long, are you going to hide in someone else''s body¡ª¡ª!!!!!"

    Together with a shout he drove his fist that was shining with blue light into the Reaper''s belly. With all the strength he had in his virtual body and soul, he directly attacked the program data that mutated her.

    ¡´"Foreign matter entering confirmed. Searching for countermeasure. Searching searching searching searching searching searching searching searching searching."¡µ

    Blue light was crawling all over the Reaper''s body.

    First it started with a mad voice. And it started to become a noise like a broken radio''s, one big sound that couldn''t be called a voice.

    Next, it was hair. The vibrant crimson colour disappeared little by little and went back to it''s original colour. The blue light purified the foreign matter and eroded the sickle which was the symbol of madness, destroying the bond.

    The scythe turned into small fragments, invisible for the naked eye.

    When all of the crimson disappeared, instead of a Reaper, there was a mysterious girl who looked like a fairy.

    "...it feels like it''s been a while since I last saw you."

    He caught her as she was falling down.

    With just that the location he was slashed at ached, and he felt pain as if his entire body was burning, he contacted Haya while bearing with it somehow.

    "I retrieved Iora. Collect us."

    ¡´"Well done Taiga! I''ll restore the connection immediately!"¡µ

    "...no, before that how''s Rui? Did she go back to normal properly?"

    He certainly carved the program deep into Iora''s body and it was able to process ¡¶Jail¡·. But the unpleasant feeling didn''t go away.

    It''s not over yet, there''s still something that has to be done¡ª¡ªthat thought didn''t disappear from his head

    ¡´"Please wait a second. I''ll check now... no way, there''s no change?! Was the program properly implanted in her?!"¡µ

    "Yeah, I should have beat it into her properly. ...?!!"

    Suddenly. He saw crimson. A piece of crimson fell on the ground and gathered at one point. A huge lump of crimson light substance bashed violently deforming and trashing about.

    "...Haya, cut the connection after you recover Iora. I''ll contact you after all is finished."

    ¡´"All is finished you mean¡ª¡ª"¡µ

    He ended the call after saying that much. A mass of crimson changed into a definite shape at the same time.

    The figure that appeared on the end of the never-changing scythe, was of a stature twice as big as Taiga. It had a black hood covering its face, and it gave off a creepy cold feeling. Truly a Grim Reaper.

    It was Aries''s original nature, identification of viruses and their immobilization by manifestating them.

    It didn''t work until now because it was embedded into a virtual body, but now that it''s been expelled from it, it has materialized.

    "...shit."

    He stood up halfway by using all of his strength, but just that caused him to make a big cough.

    The pain that came from his insides was strong enough to make it seem like his entire body became a complete mess, severe pain ran amok making him feel as if he would be better off dead.

    "Zuaa... gah... haa..."

    His visibility was dyed white. His eyes were at their limits. His entire body screamed. It was impossible. He couldn''t fight in such a body¡ª¡ª

    Immediately after he gripped his sword, the Reaper began to move. It''s scream shakes the air and slashes at Taiga with it''s scythe!

    "Gu...!!"

    The blow was heavier than that of the girl''s, it has blown away his defence.

    He rotated two, three times on the ground. And although he rebuilt his posture after rotating, the Reaper closed the distance by gliding through the air while holding a huge scythe matching its current physique.

    Nodachi and scythe clash and a flurry of sparks appear between them. A heavy impact hits his arms with every blow and is transmitted into his body, a dull pain runs through his wounds.

    His mind was being disturbed.

    His body was barely standing.

    His awareness barely endured.

    It was the limit.

    His brain was overused by ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡·, severe pain assaulted his abdomen. A normal person would have gone mad a long time ago. It was an abnormal, suicidal act to fight in such a condition.

    Somewhere in his mind he heard a whisper.

    You did well. You saved Iora didn''t you. It''s okay to leave the rest to someone else.

    "¡ª¡ªDon''t fuck with me."

    The sounds of heavy strikes drowned the auditory hallucinations. His bones, lungs, internal organs, cells throughout his body screamed.

    It''s okay to leave the rest to someone else?

    That girl, she was laughing until the very end, she believed in you, and that she will not disappear.

    With that trust, with those feelings, are you going to betray that vow? You can still move. You can still fight.

    If it hurts, withstand it. If you''re losing consciousness hold on to it. It''s fine to exceed the limit.

    He took a deep breath while parrying an attack.

    3, 2, 1 ¡ª¡ªtogether with the countdown he roused all the cells in his body.

    An imaged flashed in his mind. A lightning ran through his entire body sharpening it.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª I believe in you. Brother ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Burning out until the last drop of his fuel is left. Charging until there is no energy left, running the engine called mind at full horsepower.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª Yup. I will be waiting, my Prince ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "...uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

    That moment, the world stopped.

    Feeling as if time flowed differently for him, with brute force he broke through the scythe and slashed the Reaper. The scream echoed.

    Crimson light peeped from the tear he engraved on it, he placed the blue sphere inside of it.

    "Finally... I got you out..."

    Mental structures trapped in jail overflowed.

    The souls were released and started to wander in search of their original bodies.

    But, there was no time to be relieved because the tear he made started to recover, and in a few short seconds it was completely blocked.

    "You really don''t know when to die... Gu... guoh..."

    ¡ª¡ªOne more blow, if he delivers one more blow his body will really break.

    It''s enough.

    He sheathed the nodachi slowly.

    "..... ¡°Secret Technique¡± first form¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    No tricks. There was no room for that. Purely smashing the enemy with the single strongest blow he had. His legs used all its strength to kick off, and he gathered his arms while in front of his prey.

    The Reaper continuously slashed with his scythe. But the long range slashes released could not reach Taiga who ran at full speed and carved deep tears in the ground behind him.

    Ten meters away from him his step collapsed, and Taiga''s body sank.

    Thinking only of decapitating his opponent, he condensed the speed and force to the limit, and at the same time as he released that power he unsheathed the nodachi!!!

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡¶Haryuu¡·!!!!!!!!"

    It was a godspeed sword-drawing technique that didn''t even leave an after-image after slashing.

    A supreme slash that had speed and power beyond the limit of humans has released a shockwave that seemed like it would tear the earth apart, and bisected the Reaper together with his scythe.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    From the cut, a torrent of souls overflowed like a muddy stream.

    Mental structures flew around looking for their bodies, and he sensed a girl that reminded him of sun,

    "...sorry for the wait, Princess."

    Taiga''s consciousness sank into darkness.

    At the same time, a single tear flowed on the cheek of a girl who was sleeping in a hospital room.

    Translator''s Notes and References

    - 1.¡ü Hien used here means Flying Swallow, however if you write it differently it can also mean scarlet flame.

 Volume 1, Epilogue - A Road Far Away, Aiming for The Sky

    Volume 1, Epilogue - A Road Far Away, Aiming for The Sky

    On that day, the hospital was very crowded because it was a holiday.

    Patients rushed to the large and only hospital in the New City for examinations. There was a lot of people waiting in the lobby.

    Passing by the side of that crowd, Tenryo Fuyuki set a foot into the general ward.

    Waiting for procedures to finish at the entrance to the ward, her best friend who probably came with the same purpose came walked up to her, she had a surprised expression and a smile on her face.

    "Eh?? And here Rui-san thought she will be first... why are you here, Fuyuki?"

    "That''s my line, Rucchan. Certainly, there''s a wait until eleven o''clock, so why are you here an hour early."

    Even though they smiled at each other, it didn''t reach their eyes. Their gazes blamed the rival for trying to get a headstart, and as their eyes met sparks appeared between them.

    On the chest of the girl with chestnut brown hair, shined a pendant that had a shape of the sun.

    ¡ª¡ªTwo days have passed ever since the confrontation with the Grim Reaper.

    Rui and the Kiritou''s researchers who had their spirit structure imprisoned have all woken up safely, the incident with Iolite running rampage has ended for the time being.

    "Geez... Rucchan is also undergoing convalescence, you shouldn''t overdo it. You''ll collapse if you''re not careful."

    "Ahaha?, unfortunately Rui-san has already completely recovered. I can even run a marathon or something now. Fuyuki too, doesn''t your head still hurt? Why don''t you obediently go back?"

    Rui''s original physical strength and consciousness recovered very fast, it took just an hour and she was able to go home in the evening of the same day. Though, not knowing what after-effects there might be, she was continuously examined.

    The two girls restrained each other.

    It wasn''t threatening, but it was a very chilly atmosphere. The nurse who serviced them said "Umm?this, the permit..." and held out the paper timidly.

    Written on it was ¡ºRoom 202, Tenryo Taiga¡».

    Fifteen minutes later.

    Bathing himself in the daylight pouring from the window, and looking at the sky that was so sunny it felt hateful. Tenryo Taiga joined his hands on his head while lying in bed quietly.

    ¡ª¡ªImmediately after defeating the Reaper, Taiga could no longer endure the pain and fainted.

    His consciousness was returned to his real body by emergency withdrawal that operated normally after the connection was restored, but because of arrhythmia and seizures caused by pain''s feedback, he collapsed on spot.

    After that, Fuyuki called an ambulance, he was transported to the hospital and landed in the hospital room because of severe trauma. He woke up yesterday after being administered with painkillers.

    The uncomfortable feeling in his internal organs that felt like scrapping a wound still remained, but there was no problems with his body itself.

    To be more exact, he felt overly energetic.

    "...what a good weather?"

    "Oh, you look pretty well."

    "Oouu?!!"

    He was so distracted he didn''t even notice the sound of the door opening. When he looked at the source of the voice, he saw Kiritou Haya''s figure closing the door behind her.

    "...what, do you have anything you''re guilty of?"

    "You startled me? ...so, I wondered who it was, but it''s Haya. Why are you here so early?"

    "Since the aftermath was dealt with at last, I had time and decided to visit you. I''ve heard you are getting discharged today too."

    Speaking of her appearance, it was very like her, Haya''s outfit looked like one a lady would go in to a summer resort. She sat on the bed''s edge, he didn''t believe she came to visit him.

    "I didn''t thank you yet. Well done, for the time being. Thanks to you Iora was able to come back safely, thanks."

    "You''re welcome... speaking of which, what happened to Iora?"

    ¡´"Did''ya call?"¡µ

    Wondering when was she projected, he suddenly looked at his shoulder and saw a minimum size girl floating there.

    Same as ever, but the strange wording of hers gave him a nostalgic feel, he responded to her with a wry smile.

    "Heya, it''s been a while."

    ¡´"No idea if it''s been a while, but hello. Taiga."¡µ

    She lightly lowered her head, on her face was a faint smile. Completely different from how her face was as a Reaper. Even compared to Iora from before the Reaper incident, it felt like her emotions were more natural.

    "Surprised? Somehow after returning back to normal, she evolved and became even more sensitive."

    "Hee..."

    Saying that it was no different from a humans would be exaggerating, but without a doubt it was the most human smile an AI ever had.

    And that definitely made Kiritou Haya happy.

    I wonder if it''s because I went through that kind of thing. But it seems like there''s some anxiety remaining...

    In the first place her rapid development was a trigger for ¡¶Jail¡· to activate. No matter how many times full scan was performed no abnormality was found, and they still haven''t identified who wrote ¡¶Jail¡·. There was a reason to be cautious.

    ...even if I think about it I can''t do anything. Let''s examine it steadily.

    There were no candidates for it. There was no need to rush¡ª¡ªfor the time being she had one more thing to do, and she took out a card from her pocket.

    "Taiga, please take this."

    "Nn, isn''t this a money card?"

    It was an electronic money card, it was applied by scanning it with personal terminal. Engraved on it was a genuine emblem of Kiritou Group. The amount of money it charged was¡ª¡ªfifty thousand.

    "...haa, can it be, you''re paying me to keep me silent?!"

    "No way I''d do such a thing. There should be no problem with this little, it''s the bounty for the Grim Reaper. It wasn''t officially registered but... well, it''s payment for your work. Spend it as you please."

    The Reaper was identified by Aries as a virus and given a form. Price should be set automatically at that point.

    "...is this fine?"

    "Fine or whatever. It''s the reward for your work. If you don''t want it, just discard it."

    Being told that, he had no choice but to accept it.

    After confirming that Taiga held the card next to his terminal, Haya stood up.

    "Well then, I''ll be going back. Let''s go, Iora."

    ¡´"Understood, Master. Taiga, let''s talk later."¡µ

    Miniature-size Iora was gone from his shoulder, and Haya left.

    Taiga looked at her back, and stretched on the bed. His joints made a dry sound, partly because they weren''t used for two days.

    "¡ª¡ªWell then, it''s about time."

    He jumped down from the bed, and grabbed his packaged luggage. Like that Taiga left the hospital room.

    Meanwhile,

    The girls who came to pick up Taiga after he was discharged¡ª¡ªcouldn''t enter the ward at the same time, and waited for the boy outside of the hospital.

    By the way, that didn''t mean he was forgotten.

    "Rucchan made too much commotion. You didn''t have to trouble yourself to pick Brother up."

    "Mu, I don''t want to be told that by Fuyuki who tried to get a headstart. ...though Rui-san is the same."

    The two of them made a commotion in the ward entrance, and were ordered by the nurse to leave, and even though they were against it, they decided to wait outside of the hospital obediently.

    It was spring''s soft sunlight, it was comfortable even if they stayed outside¡ª¡ª.

    A delicate atmosphere was hanging between the two of them as their backs faced each other, and Rui decided to spark a conversation.

    "Hey, Fuyuki... there''s one thing I need to tell you, will you listen?"

    There was no answer. But it was definitely heard, and believing she will listen to her,

    "I, Saionji Rui am in love with Tenryo Taiga."

    Those feelings, she revealed them to her best friend and rival.

    It was a declaration of war.

    The girl who turned away looked back, and continued her speech.

    "Because I met him just recently, my reasoning was simple, I thought ¡ºLet''s think about it a little longer¡» or something like that you know? But you know, I''m deeply in love with that cool prince, I can''t stop myself."

    I won''t lose to Fuyuki¡ª¡ªthinking like that, she faced her sky blue eyes straight. Those words were a head on challenge towards Fuyuki.

    "No matter where, no matter to whom, I will never give Brother to anyone. Little Sister will always be by Brother''s side, and will always support him. That person chasing his ephemeral dream, is my most beloved."

    After listening to her best friend''s rival declaration, Fuyuki didn''t budge at all. Two different girls glared at each other¡ª¡ªand they smiled together.

    "Fufufu, having two people attracted to the same boy sure is difficult."

    "So it is?"

    Basked in sunlight both girls had radiant smiles, and waited for the person they thought about. Isn''t he coming yet, it''s about time¡ª¡ªin the middle of it, Rui asked a question.

    "Speaking of which, Fuyuki. Why did you fall in love with Taiga? I don''t think you loved him ever since you were born, right?"

    "You want to know... well it''s not that special, it''s pretty easy."

    "So how?"

    "...it was right after our parents died in an accident. Our heritage was ransacked and wasted by some relatives, and to get rid of Brother and Little Sister, they were put up for adoption. Little Sister had a talent as a hacker and was adopted by Karasuba''s, Brother at that time was attending a dojo that had connections to Renjou and was picked up by them. Little Sister back then still didn''t accept her parent''s death, after being separated from her brother she realized ¡ºI''m alone now¡»."

    No matter how many unusual talents she had, Fuyuki was only seven years old at that time. Losing three people from her family in such a short time was too much for her.

    "I cried all day long because of that. When I got tired of crying I went to sleep, and I started crying again when I woke up dreaming a nightmare. And then I went to sleep again... I waited three days to be picked up, every day was like that."

    "...and Taiga?"

    "Because Little Sister''s room was secluded there was no opportunity to meet... and then on the last day, two hours before they came for us, we met."

    She saw a young boy who blamed himself for everything, he could no longer cry, his heart was worn out and ragged and looked far worse than his little sister.

    If just a little strength were to be put in, he would break. The only family she had left, debilitated so much it was dangerous.

    "And then Brother forced Little Sister outside. Let''s play together, he said. Game of tag, hide-and-seek... we played so much we didn''t have time to grieve. And then I noticed, Little Sister desperately wanted Brother to smile."

    He was so badly distorted, it looked very painful, and very lovely, seeing that figure she thought ''Yeah, this person is somehow broken.'' And she stopped crying, she laughed.

    "As not to have Brother regret that time in the future, I did my best to smile as we parted¡ª¡ªthat''s what I decided, it was our last meeting. And as I parted with Brother, he said ''Someday, definitely we will live together again.''. And that, was unfair. Although I decided to part with him with a smile on my face, being told that I cried from joy."

    Cry, cry, it''s a promise.

    For the sake of living together in their own house, both of them did their best.

    "And well, that opportunity was like a trigger."

    "...that seemed kinda dramatic?"

    "It''s embarrassing so it''s a secret between you and me, okay?"

    "Yup. Got it."

    Both of them smiled facing each other, and turned around in agreement, they saw a boy walking slowly towards them.

    "Brother? Over here?!"

    "If you don''t hurry up we''ll leave you behind?"

    Then, it was time to start a sweet and sour, exciting and fun day¡ª¡ª

    "...you''re standing out so stop that..."

    Taiga was called out to by two cute girls in front of a hospital full of people, he was troubled by a huge amount of piercing stares. Although he was glad they came to pick him up, it was problematic that they didn''t know just how much they were standing out.

    "...well, it can''t be helped."

    If he''s to walk around with them, he has to be prepared to stand out. And he already decided in his mind. That he wants to stand next to those people. He wanted to be with them, that''s what he thought. And he looked up at the sky.

    It was a perfectly clear, endless blue sky, like a dream he wanted to reach, he wanted to stretch his hand and reach out towards it.

    I want to go there, I want to go above it and look at the scenery, that was his dream.

    "¡ª¡ªLet''s go."

    Slowly, he began to walk towards the girls who waited for him.

    The road leading towards his goal was long, he didn''t know how long it was and how far it would take him.

    But he still believed he can reach it, he decided in his mind that he will continue to walk towards the end.

    For now, I have to beat this dull body into shape.

    ¡ª¡ªThe boy, aimed to be the strongest.

 Volume 1, Afterword

    Volume 1, Afterword

    Nice to meet you, I''m Kazuma Jouchi.

    I hope that you enjoyed ¡ºELYSION virtual region¡».

    It''s a story based on science, concentrating on network technology that might, or might not be developed in near future. A stage where heretical siblings rampage, a science fiction battle action.

    Actually, this is the first one I have ever thought of. I took my time building the setting and thinking of characters, little sister, Fuyuki is completely different now than she was in conceptual stage, the innocent cheerful personality in this work was passed down to Rui.

    If you paid attention to the content of this book, you might notice that all characters had something edged in their hearts. Although they were blessed with talent and position, and yet were forced the cruel reality. But even though it was hard and painful, they decided in their hearts to move forward.

    ¡ª¡ªAnd so, it might sound a little serious, but I ¡ºI want to write a story about a cool protagonist and a cute heroine!¡» just that.

    Please feel the agony of devilish little sister''s cuteness, and angelic Rui-chan''s pure heart.

    Ah, one more thing. Even though I love games (especially Monster Hunter 4 and God Eater 2), in fact I haven''t played any MMORPG''s. I have tried the two before, but after reaching the max level I unsubscribed right away, I wouldn''t be able to stand the wait for next updates.

    But that did not influence this work, ¡¶Aries¡· is not a simply an MMORPG. It''s a game that has a meaning to its existence. Although the setting may be a bit funny, please don''t laugh at it too much (smiles wryly).

    The credits. I am indebted to all the people who allowed me to release this book. Takeishi-sama who took care of the editing and me before the debut. For telling me everything when I didn''t know left from right. Thank you very much.

    nauribon-sensei who took care of the illustrations for me, Thank you. No matter which illustration is it, the girls are very cute and attractive.

    Editor-in-chief, calibrators, bookbinders, I am grateful to everyone who was involved in releasing this work.

    And in the end, the biggest thanks to the readers who picked up this book.

    Because of that I think I can write an exciting story from now onwards, Thank you very much.

    Well then, let''s meet again in volume 2.

 Volume 2, Prologue - Banquet of The Influential Ones

    Volume 2, Prologue - Banquet of The Influential Ones

    Near the end of April, it was a very warm evening.

    "Fuu..."

    She looked down on the night view of the city spread below and sighed.

    Chatting voices could be heard here and there and also a live performance of classical music in the middle.

    Every sound that passes through her eardrum and is amplified, echoing in her head.

    No good, lack of sleep is hitting me at full power.

    The girl¡ª¡ªKiritou Haya drank water from a glass all at once trying to shake off drowsiness and intermittent headache. Although she hid it with light makeup and wore a vivid scarlet party dress, a glimpse of fatigue could still be seen from her expression.

    As the cold water flowed through the back of her throat, the sun peeked out from behind the haze obstructing her thinking.

    "Geez... a party at a time like this, tough luck is it...."

    She cursed quietly and looked around the venue again.

    The party hall was located at the top floor of a certain hotel. It was one of the best hotels in Japan and its furnishing was very refined, it had a really pleasant atmosphere.

    Guests inside the party hall were just celebrities matching the atmosphere. The sponsor was one of the four major cyber-related corporates ''Namisagi'', and all four corporates were attending parties.

    In name, it was a party concerning ''presentation of the new Arclight'' but that was already over, and the venue was occupied with social exchanges. Namisagi family''s head changed recently, he probably wanted to make himself known.

    I finished my round of greetings, I can just rest now while I listen.

    Just how many people did she greet. Because she couldn''t afford clumsiness, she was even more cautious than usual. Even though there were countless times she did it since young age, she still couldn''t get used to it.

    "¡ª¡ªHaya. What are you doing in a place like this."

    Just as she tried to eat some food from a plate, at the exact same time sounded a voice cold as ice. Haya''s heart tightened for an instant, but loosened soon after.

    "I told you to show your face to the guests, haven''t I."

    "I have done so without any problems, Father."

    As usual, with no indication of her true character she displayed the mask of ''yamato nadeshiko'' as she faced the blood-related man classified as her ''father''.

    ¡ª¡ªKiritou group leader, Kiritou Kouya.

    A powerful man who through management turned his company into a huge group that is one of the four biggest corporates in just a single generation. Only thoroughly seeking profit, the nickname he was given because of his ruthless finesse in which he eliminated all nuisances was¡ª¡ªThe demon king.

    Same as always, this person.

    They were family but she didn''t feel any warmth, his eyes were stone-cold. He didn''t look at his daughter too often, well, she would be troubled if he showed her his fatherly side now.

    "That''s fine then. I still have things to do. Just keep hiding your thoughts, keep them behind the wall."

    "Understood."

    For this man, his daughter Haya was only a tool.

    This party was a chance for him to develop a kingdom called ''Kiritou'', and she was brought in as a convenient tool for that. Haya herself understood it to a disgusting degree.

    Kouya left, and Haya looked towards the ground with her heart frozen over.

    It''s been always like that after she speaks with that person, being reminded that she and many others would be discarded once they could not be utilized any longer.

    ...to think of something like that, looks like I''m really tired.

    It looked like her thinking wasn''t stable.

    In an attempt to right herself in the outside air, Haya snuck out to the balcony in secret.

    She looked up at the night sky that was closer than usual and repeatedly breathed deeply. The chilly air of the night cooled the heat of her body, the equipment attached to her wrist started flashing.

    "Come to think of it, you''ve been trapped there for three hours now... Iora, you can come out."

    ¡´"Acknowledged."¡µ

    Making sure no one notices, she activated the terminal.

    The built-in projector displayed appearance of a small girl that looked like a fairy. The girl clad in blue light started to fly around Haya¡ª¡ªIora started to dance in the air like a little girl.

    Her figure was flying around under the night sky, seeing that fantastic sight Haya let out a sigh unintentionally, beautiful.

    After looking at the fairy dance, the strain on Haya''s mind loosened.

    Normally it was impossible for her to relax in public. However, now she was very tired after working hard every day.

    "...that''s a very beautiful AI isn''t it."

    That is why. Until she was called out, she didn''t realize her existence.

    Haya was surprised and responded while immediately donning the expression intended for external relations.

    There, was a girl as white as snow.

    The first thing that caught her attention was the girl''s skin colour, her skin was like scattered snow. No, it was not just her skin, her shining hair lit up by the moonlight was silver as well, even her fine party dress¡ª¡ªit was all pure white.

    It wasn''t a bright colour, it was a colour that could''ve been dyed easily, like a pale white light. She was so white she gave a feeling of a mystery that shouldn''t be approached.

    "Is that your AI?"

    The girl asked while looking at Iora who danced in the air. Haya hesitated for a moment, but it couldn''t be helped now that Iora was seen, and answered honestly.

    "Yeah. It''s my creation."

    "I see, I apologize for the sudden question. It''s rare for someone to bring an AI to a place like this, so I''ve been surprised."

    It wasn''t limited to parties, bringing AI''s along when in public was implicitly prohibited. Because AI''s were existences made to support people, it''s used mainly by people ignorant to cyber-related things. Bringing such a thing along was simply shameful.

    Even so, I didn''t expect to be asked about it so bluntly.

    Haya looked at the pure white girl again.

    She was probably one of the guests, but Haya couldn''t find her on the list she had in her memory.

    There was no way she would forget such a pretty girl¡ª¡ª...no, she had an idea who might she be.

    "Are you the Karasuba''s second daughter?"

    That''s what Haya has suspected, it came from the rumours she heard at the party.

    The second daughter of Karasuba''s that didn''t appear in public since childhood¡ª¡ªthat was the rumour with no authenticity to it.

    "Yes indeed."

    The girl''s expression sank down.

    That''s how it was. If the rumours are true, she participated in the party... no, she was forced to participate because¡ª¡ª

    "...I apologize, I need to greet everyone in the hall, I must excuse myself."

    "Ah¡ª¡ªplease wait a moment."

    Momentarily, Haya called out to the girl stopping her, and held out data in the form of a crystal that came from a terminal.

    "That''s...?"

    "It''s a free pass to freely play in our Kiritou structure. I don''t have much to give a Karasuba, however take this as proof of our acquaintance."

    "Eh? B-but¡ª¡ªah!"

    The girl had a troubled expression as she stared at the crystal.

    Because of the girl''s reaction, Haya took her slightly outstretched hand and forcibly transferred the program''s ownership.

    "With this, the pass is yours. If you don''t want to use it, just dispose of it. It might be a waste of a valuable free pass, but don''t mind it."

    While being slightly mean, Haya achieved her goal and the white girl saved the free pass in her terminal.

    "Thank you very much. If you go that far, then I shall use it to the fullest."

    "I see. Ah, my recommendation is ¡¶Aries¡·. My acquaintance uses it, please do try it."

    The girl bowed down again embarrassed, and left.

    When she completely disappeared from Haya''s sight, Iora came down from the air and stood on Haya''s shoulder, she had sceptical look in her eyes.

    "...what is it."

    ¡´"What does Master intend by acting like that towards her, I don''t get it."¡µ

    "I didn''t really intend anything. If I were to name it, that would be¡ª¡ª"

    Haya stared at the numerous sparkling stars, and muttered softly towards the sky.

    "Just a little, she resembled me just a bit, I wanted to help her free herself even if it is just a little bit."

    The gear that marked the very beginning started to rotate quietly.

 Volume 2, 1 - Reunion With The Past

    Volume 2, Chapter 1 - Reunion With The Past

    Part 1

    "Lately it''s been lacking the flirt ingredient, what do you think Brother?"

    She cut in as soon as he started eating his lunch.

    The boy who stretched his chopsticks towards the lunchboxes stopped moving, he continued to chew the omelet savouring the taste. It was just as he liked it, seasoned with salt instead of sugar.

    "...yeah, tasty."

    "Please don''t ignore me."

    It was impossible not to hear it. He put away the chopsticks reluctantly and turned towards the black-haired girl.

    Glossy black hair long enough to reach her waist and mysterious eyes that had the colour of the sky. As usual her hair was tied up in twin tails and she currently got up and was on her knees.

    Despite her underdeveloped body, ten out of ten men would call her ''Unusually pretty girl'', and now she had a serious expression as she looked towards him in anticipation.

    The boy who had the same sky-blue eyes¡ª¡ªTenryo Taiga asked, noticing the troublesome atmosphere.

    "¡ª¡ªso, Fuyuki. What is it?"

    "I said there isn''t enough of Brother and the little sister flirt ingredient."

    The one who referred to herself as ''little sister'' was Tenryo Fuyuki, Taiga''s twin little sister. Although they didn''t bear much resemblance aside from the eye colour, they were genuinely blood-related siblings.

    "...for the time being, I want to confirm. What do you mean by ''flirt ingredient''? I have an idea what, but still."

    "It''s generated by Brother and little sister''s love flirting, an essential ingredient for little sister."

    "Oh, is that so. That''s what I thought it was."

    It''s been two weeks since their reunion, after this time Taiga finally understood his little sister.

    "And?"

    "How dull. Let''s make out here, is what I''m saying."

    "...just how did you reach that conclusion."

    They were inside of the Kiritou Academy''s cyber department, the school the two of them were commuting to. Currently they were on the roof of the first year''s building.

    There was a cloudless clear sky today. Even so, the only ones who used the roof at lunchtime was just them, the siblings expanded the thin blanket in a good, sunny spot.

    By the way, there should be one more person there, the girl who was always together with the siblings, but she was slightly late today because of work.

    "Like I said earlier, because of the recent lack of physical contact with brother I am in a bad mood. That''s why I was wondering if I could be supplied with it all at once right now."

    "What is this imouto-sama saying despite sleeping together with me every night."

    Rather than need of supplementation, it would rather be her having an excess of it.

    Because of certain circumstances (Fuyuki''s ploy) there is only one bed in the siblings'' home which is why Taiga and Fuyuki sleep together. Every day Taiga suffers of sleep deprivation because of it.

    Although she was his real sister, it didn''t change the fact Fuyuki was an extraordinarily pretty girl. Furthermore, all she wore to sleep was practically her underwear and as a bonus she clung to him the entire night. Being able to sleep like that was an absurd thing to ask of him. If Taiga didn''t cut off all feelings during nighttime, he would already have fallen long ago.

    "Yahoo¡ª¡ª Sorry for the wait you two?"

    From the direction of the school building''s door came a cheerful voice. A girl entered the roof.

    With chestnut brown hair fluttering in the wind, the siblings'' friend Saionji Rui ran up to them lightly.

    She too, was an extraordinarily pretty girl, although she was completely different from Fuyuki. The most significant and noticeable difference was her bodily development beyond that of other girls the same age.

    Also, the bright atmosphere her entire body was emitting, she was like a perfect opposite of Fuyuki.

    By the way, all the lunch boxes were prepared by her.

    "It came. The root of all evil."

    "...what is it all of a sudden?"

    Feeling the thorns in Fuyuki''s voice, Rui tilted her head. If Taiga who knew the entire flow of the conversation didn''t understand, there was no way for her who just arrived to understand it.

    "Why are you blaming Rui. She''s unrelated to that right?"

    Taiga was so hungry he couldn''t bear it, and he reached out towards the lunch box. Or rather, since they are changing classes after break, if he didn''t start eating soon he would be late. He put three small rice balls in his mouth and looked for something to drink¡ª¡ª

    "Yes, here you go."

    "Oh, sankyu."

    He drank the tea that was held out to him. The Japanese tea in the thermos was still slightly warm, it went well with the rice ball and its pickled plum filling.

    And, he noticed Fuyuki glaring at him with a disgruntled expression, she was clearly in a bad mood.

    "What is it Fuyuki?"

    "Looking back at the act just now, don''t you think it''s weird?"

    "Weird? What is?"

    "You really do have zero awareness. Well I already knew that."

    ''Good grief'', Fuyuki dropped her shoulders and sighed. She seemed somehow astonished.

    "Brother, please look at Rucchan rea?lly carefully. Don''t you notice anything?"

    As he was told to, he stared at Rui who sat next to him, looking from the top to bottom. She was shyly, lightly swaying her body, there was nothing else significant enough to notice.

    "So what''s weird?"

    "Even though it''s lunch there''s no dishes nor chopsticks, isn''t that weird?"

    "Eh? ...yeah, now that you say it."

    Although she was late because of work, it didn''t seem like Rui was in hurry. She left behind chopsticks, but carefully prepared the thermos with tea.

    "You know. While Brother was eating, Rucchan was smiling the entire time and passed the thermos immediately when Brother was looking for something to drink. What is this, are you a freshly married couple...?! You bastard Brother!!"

    "No, wait why are you snapping at me!?"

    Further annoyed by her own words, Fuyuki pinched the back of Taiga''s hand.

    It simply hurt.

    "Rucchan as well. We agreed on having lunch boxes occasionally, but aren''t you making them on a daily basis lately?"

    "Uuu... t-that''s because..."

    "Because what."

    "Taiga says its delicious and happily eats it, that... really makes me happy, ehehe."

    As Rui said it shyly, she was so lovely it made Taiga want to hug her. He couldn''t look away from her¡ª¡ª

    "Flirt like that with little sister, Brother."

    "It hurts, it really hurts!?"

    The skin on his hand was pinched with enough force to tear it off, and he screamed in pain.

    Operating under unknown logic, it seemed the powerless little sister had strange power-ups recently when she scolded her older brother.

    Under the blue sky, the trio started to eat their lunch in a noisy and fun atmosphere.

    Two weeks have passed¡ª¡ªever since the Tenryo siblings moved to New City.

    "You two, have you gotten used to your new life?"

    "Not yet. It''s a completely different life, there''s a lot of new things."

    "Me too, it''s been a while since I commuted to school."

    Fuyuki and Taiga responded to Rui''s question.

    The three of them surrounded the lunch boxes laid out between them, and the conversation blossomed.

    They already finished their meal, ten minutes left until the cyber-related specialized course starts. Kiritou Academy was large enough to be comparable to a small town, so they will be late unless they leave soon.

    "Been a while? Was it elementary school or middle school?"

    "I was attending elementary school normally until eight years ago. But I couldn''t afford to go to school after being taken to Renjou."

    "But isn''t education compulsory?"

    "On paper, I''ve graduated properly."

    "You really did well passing the entrance exam..."

    Kiritou Academy''s cyber department was part of the Elysion, a department specializing in the professional virtual area on the network that is composed of electronic data.

    Since the cyber world is a foundation of the modern life now, out of all the students aiming for Kiritou Academy, most of them aspire to enter the cyber department. Of course the level was tremendously high.

    Honestly, Taiga would have failed if not for an acquaintance who tutored him.

    "It was very similar for the little sister.''

    "Eh? Fuyuki hasn''t gone to school for a while either?"

    "There is an unique educational institution inside of Karasuba, little sister graduated from there. But I attended it for only a year, since I was given a special treatment allowing me to skip grades."

    These twin siblings had a little, no, a very special past.

    Tenryo Taiga and Tenryo Fuyuki, the siblings lost their parents on a certain day eight years ago in a traffic accident. And the two of them were taken away to separate households and spent eight years as Renjou Taiga and Karasuba Fuyuki.

    They started living together again two weeks ago, in this New City where Fuyuki''s best friend Saionji Rui was living in.

    "Haa? you two really come from strange environments don''t you?"

    Rui unintentionally sighed in admiration.

    One corner of four major cyber-related corporates ''Karasuba'' was in a scope beyond her imagination.

    But the martial art masters ''Renjou'' who took contracts for anything from assassination to acting as mercenaries was a region completely beyond her knowledge. And the fact that boy in front of her was a part of it was unrealistic.

    "Oh, right. You two, what about club activities? It''s your first time attending school properly right, why don''t you enter some kind of club?"

    "Club activities, speaking of which there was something like that."

    "There''s the Shinkansai coming too, let''s go around together."

    "...Shinkansai?"

    "It''s an official name for club activities'' freshman recruitment festival. Like the name suggests, it''s a festival?"1

    "How did recruitment for extracurricular activities turn into a festival?"

    Speaking of festival events, it was both a cultural festival and a sports festival at the same time. He never heard of a festival like that before.

    "That''s because there''s a lot of people from Kiritou group in Kiritou Academy''s board. Every year there''s a struggle for human resources. There were many problems in the past, but even so the festival is fun?. And so it became an event the entire school is involved with."

    "Oh, no wonder the campus was so noisy today."

    As he looked down, the upperclassmen were hurriedly running around, they were probably finishing the final preparations.

    "Club activities... little sister has to pass. The exercise part is out of the question, as for everything else it''s a no because little sister''s skill is beyond high school level."

    "Yeah? that''s right, I guess."

    As one of the top people in ''Karasuba'' Fuyuki''s skills were far beyond that of a normal student''s. She wouldn''t be able to enjoy club activities made for students.

    "Brother can''t do the exercise part either, right."

    "Well, that''s how it is. I''ll have to pass on looking around, sorry."

    If Taiga were to get serious in a club no one would be able to keep up with him.

    Because his specs are way too different, skills and experience meant nothing compared to it.

    "Then why don''t you do club activities together?"

    "What would you do in that case, Rui?"

    "Nn¡ª Rui-san gets bored easily. Ever since middle school I entered and quit many clubs. I guess I''ll stop that now. Also, playing together with the three of us is more fun."

    "And we can''t do it because we need to earn a living."

    "Indeed."

    The genius siblings ran away from the households they were taken off to, and needed to earn their living expenses by themselves. Although they prepared a substantial amount of money beforehand, but Fuyuki was too merry when spending and bought the top floor at a luxury apartment, and they''ve ran out of money.

    Now, the siblings started a part-time job introduced to them by Rui, although it seems like a simple monster-hunting game, the pay is pretty good. Because of that, they were reluctant to do club activities.

    By the way, before Rui asked ''Why don''t you do a job that allows you to draw more from your abilities?'', but the circumstances didn''t allow them to do so. Both of them ran away from families prominent in their own way, they couldn''t afford to stand out. That''s why they couldn''t work in fields that involved their own specialties.

    Finally, they reached the conclusion of ''We''re not interested in club activities, but we''ll tour the festival.'', right before the lunch break ended.

    Part 2

    "Club activities? Taiga, do you think I have time to do such a thing?"

    "Is that so."

    "Seriously, don''t ask me stupid questions. I''m busy."

    The female student that sat on the sofa with her legs crossed bluntly while operating a machine on her wrist¡ª¡ªand turning on the terminal. Three windows were projected displaying a three-dimensional image, the data was being changed in accordance to the movement of her fingers.

    Specialized courses were taking place in the afternoon in Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Fuyuki chose a different lecture, so Taiga parted from her and Rui and was now in a small classroom in the back of a seemingly unused school building.

    Originally, it was supposed to be a classroom in which the lecture of ¡¶Configuration of virtual personality¡·took place, but the only people inside of it were Taiga and the black haired female student.

    The girl''s name was Kiritou Haya. A third year senior from the cyber department.

    She''s the student council president and daughter of the ¡ºKiritou¡» group''s leader that has its headquarters in New City. Her appearance is that of a ladylike yamato nadeshiko.

    But her real nature is that of someone who privatized a classroom and forged a fictional lecture, a tyrant that does whatever she wants. Taiga learned of her true nature by chance (she self destructed), and was dragged into this lecture by force.

    ¡´"Taiga. Do not look away."¡µ

    Just as he recalled his first meeting with Haya, something that looked like a black needle appeared in his line of sight.

    Seems like she didn''t overlook it, he looked back at the semitransparent girl floating in the air in front of him and pointing at him with a black pointing stick.

    ¡´"Concentrate over here. Slacking in front of Iora-sensei is unforgivable."¡µ

    The fairy-like girl wore an outfit that imitated a teachers and glasses with a black frame, she looked different than usual.

    While it was obvious from her scale, she was not human. She''s a virtual personality Kiritou Haya has developed¡ª¡ªcodename Iolite, nicknamed ¡ºIora¡».

    Although Iora was only existing in a form of data, right now she was being projected from the terminal''s three-dimensional projector. Of course the range it projected to was very broad.

    Then, why was Iora calling herself a ''sensei''? There was a certain situation that happened a few days ago.

    Last week, Taiga was hospitalized after being involved in a certain incident. Although he was discharged a few days later without a single injury, there was another problem. Because he was in the hospital, he couldn''t attend class.

    It was fatal for Taiga who wasn''t good at studying, and what awaited him after he left the hospital were incomprehensible lectures.

    Feeling too miserable to consult it with Fuyuki or Rui, he tried getting help from his senior, Haya.

    As a result, for some reason Iora ended up being his teacher, and was currently tutoring him.

    That was three days ago.

    "And to think I was the one teaching not too long ago?"

    ¡´"Now. The next one is mathematics."¡µ

    Somehow having fun, Iora expanded the exercise books with a faint smile.

    She was expressionless and apathetic until a week ago, she felt like a machine, it was unbelievable.

    It was an incredible learning ability, no, it was an eerie growth rate.

    It''s impossible not to worry.

    There was something that caused Iora''s rapid evolution¡ª¡ªhe glanced at Haya who said so. Although she was usually being lazy and lying down on the couch, it was different today.

    She really does look busy.

    It''s been thirty minutes, and Haya continued to operate the windows all this time.

    Her appearance suggested that she regretted losing every minute, every second. Her complexion was poor because she lacked sleep. Although Taiga worried about her, knowing the reason he couldn''t tell her to stop.

    The cause was the incident with Iora going berserk, the one that involved Rui falling into a coma.

    Taiga, Fuyuki and Haya. The three of them stopped the runaway Iora, Haya had to use her status as president''s daughter in the process when using a trick called ''Structure Lockdown''. However, the price was great, a large amount of work was pushed onto her in order to compensate for the losses.

    ¡ºKiritou¡» worked on many matters that were confidential, so Taiga couldn''t help even if he wanted to.

    ¡´"Taiga. Don''t look at Master, look over here."¡µ

    "Yeah, I get it."

    For another hour Haya quietly worked while Taiga worked hard studying.

    Part 3

    The specialized course ended without incidents, it was now after school.

    Taiga, Fuyuki and Rui boarded the academy''s dedicated linear and had just left the ticket station of the New City''s central station. The siblings and Rui are going home in the same direction but Rui stopped at the station as if she remembered something.

    "Oh, right! Dad asked me to do shopping!"

    "For the store?"

    "Yup. Ah, we''re not entering¡¶Aries¡·today so that''s it, see you tomorrow."

    "Not going to enter?"

    "We can''t connect because there''s a regular maintenance until 3 p.m. tomorrow, I''ve already told you that yesterday didn''t I. Did you forget?"

    ¡¶Aries¡·is one of the wide variety of structures Elysion consists of. It''s a large scale structure tens of thousands players are using, it''s a virtual world with an orthodox fantasy setting as a base. In that world, bugs and viruses are arranged to appear as monsters the trio hunts to earn money from bounties.

    Now that I think about it, she said something like that.

    To maintain the Aries'' system, there is extensive maintenance done on a regular basis during which the structure is closed.

    In general the regular maintenance is disliked, however the bugs and viruses continue to appear so there is a large quantity of bounties right after maintenance is finished. That''s why, it''s said to be a blessed time for some users like Taiga and the others.

    "Well then, Rui-san is going. See you tomorrow!"

    "Yeah."

    "See you tomorrow."

    Rui said her farewell and headed towards the grocery store and the siblings returned home.

    Their home was the apartment on the top: fifteenth floor, too luxurious for just two high school students to live in.

    Taiga took off his school uniform''s blazer, sat down on the sofa located in spacious living room and sighed.

    "Ah?...I studied too much and I''m wasted?..."

    He stretched his neck making a dry sound. It seemed like (well, it didn''t just seem like it) it was caused by the spartan Iora''s guidance, his head seemed really heavy.

    "Want some coffee?"

    "Please?"

    The Remotely controlled coffeemaker started to grind the beans, they were beans they got from Rui''s father who runs a caf¨¦ so it was delicious.

    "Here you go, Brother."

    He received the cup from Fuyuki and took a sip. It was best to drink it right after it was ground from the beans, he enjoyed the bean''s taste for a moment.

    "This is really good. Master was right on the mark again¡ª¡ªso, what is it Fuyuki?"

    Suddenly, Fuyuki sat down on Taiga''s lap.

    His little sister''s body leaned deeply entrusting her back to him, she was very light and a flowery smell drifted from her black glossy hair tickling his nostrils.

    Even though we''re using the same shampoo.

    She acted like a spoiled child, but Taiga placed a hand on her head and gently stroked it without saying anything.

    This seemed to be the ''flirting ingredient'' this girl spoke of during the day.

    Feeling good Fuyuki narrowed her eyes and raised the cup to her mouth¡ª¡ªand frowned.

    "...it''s bitter."

    "Well, it''s black that''s why. Here, milk and sugar."

    *plunk**plunk**plunk**plunk**plunk**plunk**plunk*

    "You put in too much."

    Fuyuki listened and started to put in sugar cubes like crazy. Because of that, the coffee lost all of its flavour, and the high class coffee beans were ruined.

    That''s what Taiga thought in the back of his mind, but Fuyuki put in milk without stopping. Her cup of coffee turned into caf¨¦ au lait and she made a happy smile. Although there were many things he wanted to say, he couldn''t do it seeing his little sister''s happy expression.

    "Speaking of which, it''s the first time I''ve heard of Karasuba''s school."

    "I didn''t tell you about it?"

    "Well, we didn''t talk about ourselves enough to know everything, there surely are one or two things we don''t know about each other."

    "Then, is there anything Brother doesn''t want to tell his little sister?"

    "Hmm, I wonder."

    "So there is. I see."

    Hearing Taiga dodge the subject, Fuyuki puffed her cheeks a little.

    The siblings had an eight years blank, for the two of them who are fifteen years old it''s more than half of their lives. That''s not a gap you can fill easily just by talking.

    That''s when, *pikon*, a sound came out from Fuyuki''s terminal and a window opened. It seemed to be an e-mail.

    "It''s from Rucchan. Eight o''clock tomorrow morning, meet up in Paradise."

    "Oh, it''s about Shinkansai, I look forward to it."

    "The first festival since elementary school, little sister is also excited."

    Fuyuki closed the window by tapping it and drank the contents of the cup all at once. It seemed like she didn''t have enough, so she stared at Taiga''s cup and put sugar cubes inside before drinking it.

    "Hey hey, what are you doing Imouto-sama."

    "Little sister is thirsty so let her."

    "It''s fine if you pour yourself a new one right?"

    "No. I don''t want to move away."

    It might have sounded like she was being lazy, but in her case it''s because she''s ''sitting on her brother''s lap''. As proof of that, the fact is that she is leaning her head against his chest.

    "Geez..."

    Having someone on top of him, Taiga couldn''t move. He reluctantly tried to drink the coffee that had a large quantity of sugar and milk put in, it was too sweet so there was no flavour at all but it wasn''t that bad.

    "That''s an indirect kiss isn''t it."

    "Nn? ...ah, I guess."

    Looking carefully it seemed like they drank from the same side of the cup. But he didn''t really care about it and sipped it again.

    "Muu, even though it''s an indirect kiss with your cute and wonderful little sister, your reaction is really bland."

    "It''s too late to be embarrassed..."

    Although it''s been only two weeks since he reunited with his little sister, somehow he already got used to indirect kisses. It might sound horrible for him to get used to indirect kisses with his sister but they already share the same bed (meaning is exactly as it sounds like) and there were various other things happening.

    "Is it that fun to tease me?"

    "Yeah. Seeing Brother blush in embarrassment is the best."

    Fuyuki smiled like a little devil.

    As if to fill the eight year''s blank, she sought interaction with him.

    "Little sister loves spending time with Brother and Rucchan the most."

    He wondered why.

    For Taiga, those earnest feelings of hers made his own turn in a dangerous direction.

    "I''m looking forward to tomorrows festival."

    "Yeah, indeed."

    As the sun set, the siblings continued to talk in a relaxed manner.

    Part 4

    The history of Kiritou Academy is very shallow.

    While there is a lot of it to the Kiritou Group ever since the company has been founded, the school is new and it has only been about ten years since its founding. Even so, since the Kiritou Group has been growing fast thanks to the school''s graduates, its popularity among students is very high.

    It offered professional teaching on many subjects and its average was quite high, but it wasn''t just classes, it also offered active club activities.

    Three thousand students divided into various smaller and bigger clubs. The total number of those is larger than a hundred, and because there''s a lot of room on the campus none of the activities are inconvenienced.

    However, it''s different with human resources and budget.

    To have a budget assigned, achievements are required and to have achievements there''s a need of obtaining talented people. The outcome of club activities is also directly linked to future employment, so every year clubs desperately look for new members.

    Because the recruitment was gradually intensifying, the school side limited recruitment to a certain time period, and the public morals committee acted and created a new school event.

    And it became a joint club recruitment festival held at the end of April called ''Shinkansai''.

    "Woah? it''s really busy!"

    "Well, it is a festival."

    Saturday, half past eight at the station in front of ''Kiritou Academy''.

    In modern days due to declining academic standards, the policy called relaxed education 2 has been abolished, however Kiritou Academy is being supplied with a huge amount of money therefore as an independent school they were free to set their education policies.

    On the route there''s usually a lot of students, there''s space prepared by clubs as they crammed it in overnight. It was the same scene in every direction, whether its north, south, east or west.

    And there were upperclassmen whose eyes were glittering.

    "Is it my imagination or do they look like carnivores looking at their prey?"

    At least, it''s not a look a student gives another student.

    Taiga wasn''t the only one who sensed this turbulent mood, a freshman who came on board of the same linear noticed the odd presence in front and didn''t want to leave the station.

    "Little sister wants to do an immediate U-turn and go back."

    "That''s no good Fuyuki, if you''re not with Taiga you might get taken away."

    "The worst..."

    After looking outside Fuyuki wanted to catch a returning linear but was caught by Rui.

    It might be unbearable for her who has a fear of strangers but if they notice her, a beautiful girl and a top grade student she won''t be able to escape from people trying to recruit her. That''s why Taiga had to act like a wall to help her.

    "Well then, what is it..."

    "Everything will be solved if Brother sacrifices himself and jumps in."

    "Hey hey."

    With that said, they can''t stand there forever. The station will be filled when the next linear arrives and they will be forced out. Other students glanced at each other''s movements.

    As Taiga worried, he felt someone''s hand on his back. Having a bad premonition he looked behind, and saw Fuyuki pushing his waist from behind.

    "...umm, what are you doing Imouto-sama?"

    "Little sister''s creed is ''act according to one''s word''."

    Fuyuki made a big smile.

    And the next moment, Taiga was pushed with all her strength.

    "W-wa... hey! Uwah!"

    Taiga plunged forward and left the station building, upperclassmen with club admittance forms swarmed to him. Seeing them flock to Taiga like ants flock to sugar, everyone had a painful look on their faces and Fuyuki smiled proudly.

    "Then, Rucchan. Let''s use this opening to slip past."

    "Umm¡ª...what about Taiga?"

    "If its just that much, Brother will manage somehow. Also, he''s already accustomed to being the shield of his cute little sister, if anything, he would do it until exhaustion and be satisfied afterwards."

    Fuyuki left him as a decoy and pulled Rui''s hand and passed by the crowd''s side.

    The recruiters in front of the station seemed to be the fiercest ones, the amount of people scouting decreases as they''re moving away. It went to the extent of students calling out from their own spaces.

    The two ran behind the building escaping from yelling people and were catching their breath under the tree''s shadow.

    "Fuah, finally released from that squalid atmosphere."

    "That was amazing¡ª ...I wonder if Taiga is all right, maybe he was taken somewhere¡ª¡ª"

    "I won''t get caught so easily."

    "Hey Taiga. When did you catch up with us?"

    Rui looked towards the source of the voice, and found Taiga right beside them.

    He looked really rugged, his hair was unkempt and he had club admittance forms affixed all over his body. He looked quite miserable.

    "See. He''s alright after all."

    "I''m not alright at all. What was that?! You left me alone in that club recruitment place. That''s too much."

    Taiga sighed without thinking.

    Although he escaped through a gap in the crowd, things like trying to forcefully sign the form with his arm was no longer recruitment. He had to fling two, maybe three people off him.

    "Ahaha, I''ve heard rumours about it, but it really is fierce."

    Taiga peeled off the papers affixed to his body and placed them in the trash. Rui took the ones he couldn''t reach with his hands, and he fixed the uniform on his body.

    "Now, let''s see on the map where we should tour first, where we are is the part with cultural clubs, among these there''s a lot of tech clubs."

    Fuyuki displayed an area map from her terminal, and the three stared at it.

    The area they''re assigned to seemed to be determined by the type of club activities, the cyber-related activities were lined up around the area they were currently in.

    "It''s fine to go around once, it''s a festival after all."

    "No. Brother would definitely find athletic clubs more fun. And the cyber-related clubs are full of tech and machines."

    "I''m in cyber department so I assumed it''s a good chance to get used to it."

    As for machines Taiga uses it''s only the daily necessities, the terminal and machine used to dive in Elysion the ''arclight''. Although in a certain sense he did use an automatically-controlled drone, he didn''t have much common knowledge about these things.

    "Then, let''s tour the athletic clubs later, let''s conquer the ones here first! Let''s go?!"

    "Fufufu... little sister is going to bring them down on their knees with her skill..."

    "Don''t do anything too flashy."

    Taiga advised his sister who blurted some disturbing words, and chased after the girls.

    In a nutshell, his advice was wasted.

    "Haa? with this we toured all cyber-related clubs."

    "Yeah. I''m quite tired after all that."

    "Well, after trying everything that was exhibited it''s obvious that you''ll be tired."

    Seeing a ''that was well done'' expression on the girl''s faces, Taiga muttered amazed.

    As a matter of fact, naturally they weren''t able to tour the clubs without any issues. It was mainly because of Fuyuki.

    "I didn''t really care about their impressions, I just pointed out the weaknesses, they don''t have to necessarily improve it."

    "Even so, when I told them what I thought, the club members seemed very happy."

    "And because of that, when you declined their invitation they looked horrible..."

    He was reminded of how students from the entire section flocked with club admittance forms after seeing the program Fuyuki made by herself. He scraped his nerves to make sure he didn''t hurt anyone there.

    "...but in the end even Rui participated in it."

    "Yaha? Rui-san wasn''t able to endure any longer."

    The two beautiful girls were incredibly conspicuous.

    Although everything calmed down after the two declared ''We''re not going to enter any club'' still some of the upperclassmen checked on them from a distance.

    "It''s gotten really tedious. Let''s hurry to the sports department."

    "Whose fault is it, huh?"

    While exposed to many stares, Taiga and the others started to move.

    "But I expected more of a school directly managed by one of the four major corporates. Looks like activities done by students are just at this level."

    "Was it that bad?"

    "No, the level is pretty high. I think it greatly exceeds normal high school''s level. As expected of Kiritou Academy."

    "Fuyuki is just too special. Probably people on the same level as president are as good as the teachers."

    "As far as performance goes, Rucchan is probably the runner-up."

    "...you mean that Rui is better than the majority of students in this school?"

    "Yeah. Honestly, she''s on so a high level it''s unthinkable she grew up in a normal household."

    Rui''s home was an ordinary caf¨¦. And come to think of it, Fuyuki was educated in Karasuba, and as the heir of Kiritou, Haya also received special education. She really was amazing.

    "Yahaha... that''s because I''ve seen Fuyuki programming many times before. I just mimicked what she did."

    "Stealing technology from others is also a talent. There are people who spend a fortune and can''t do

    it."

    "Also Rucchan doesn''t just mimic, you also can do others things. Especially when it comes to attack-configured programs you''re better than little sister."

    A program made to counter viruses and bugs in Elysion, that''s the attack-configured program.

    Generally they are programs bought from large companies that develop them. However Rui prepared them more powerful ones, both Fuyuki and Taiga use her programs all the time.

    "Uuu?...it''s not that big of a deal..."

    Embarrassed by the praises, Rui continued to walk at brisk pace with her cheeks dyed red.

    "Look, that''s the athletic club''s area."

    They chased after Rui, it was the first time since admission for the three of them to set foot on the east side of the school.

    Kiritou Group was a major cyber-related company, but it also focused on sports as a strategy to improve its image. They own many professional sport teams, it''s a system that allows sport departments students to join those after graduation.

    "It''s all sports grounds and gyms."

    "Scholarship students gathered here in sports department from all over the country. And because there''s a lot of clubs there''s a need of sports grounds and facilities."

    "Are they by any chance exempt from studying?"

    "No, there''s no such thing. The department policy is to train both mind and body. Academic skills are required to some extent in sports department. Still, compared to the normal and cyber department it''s a breeze."

    At the same time, exercise is encouraged in the cyber department. The ball games tournament, a sports festival or a marathon, events promoting exercise appear several times a year.

    "Anyway, this is pretty quiet?"

    As they looked around, there was recruitment in the form of experiencing the club. They didn''t see any club members raising their voices and actively recruiting.

    "There''s no point in loudly recruiting people here. The scholarship students mostly decided on their club before they came here."

    Even so, in some cases they managed to find a talent from among the general students, they participate in Shinkansai to recruit managers or with similar goals.

    "Well then, where shall we start touring, since little sister is horrible at sports Brother can do as he pleases."

    "Do as you please, even if you say that... what about Rui?"

    "I don''t really have anywhere I want to go."

    It was just as Fuyuki declared, her stamina was close to none and as a bonus her motoric senses were horrible. During the physical education that''s twice a week she''s completely out of breath.

    Rui had excellent motoric senses, she definitely wouldn''t lose to the students in the sports department. If she trained properly she could excel at any sport.

    "...little Fuyuki is always like that¡ª¡ªouch! Hey!?"

    "Where are you looking as you say those words, you asshole brother...!!"

    Fuyuki''s heel ground on his foot with a sinister sound.

    "Where... of course I mean your height..."

    "Hee? Hou? I thought you were looking at my chest, but it seems like it was my imagination."

    "That''s a false accusation!"

    Though, the fact that he didn''t look at it at all was a lie.

    "...Taiga is a pervert."

    "I''m saying you''re wrong!"

    It was an act someone looking from the side would take as flirting. As Taiga defended himself, a figure appeared a short distance away.

    "What happened?"

    "Nah, it seems like there''s something better over there. Let''s go."

    Taiga brought the two of them towards the spot that caught his attention. About fifty students gathered there. A punching machine was located in the center.

    "It seems like a joint martial arts project."

    They received leaflets from nearby upperclassmen, written on it was ''Looking for challengers! A luxurious prize for people who clear it!''.

    "What is it, you clear if you exceed the number of points set by the boxing club captain. Even if you don''t reach it you can get gift goods. The prize is... no way, ¡¶Oonira¡· preferential rights!"

    "Eh, really?!"

    "Ooni¡ª...what?"

    It seemed like Taiga was the only one who didn''t know about it, both Rui and Fuyuki looked at the leaflet as if they were to devour it.

    There was a queue of people who wanted to participate on the stage, male students with strong physique hit it and left. The ''luxurious prize'' must have been really good, expressions of the students who received different prizes were really dark. As Taiga tilted his neck, Rui explained.

    "Umm, ¡¶Oonira¡· is one of the structures. It''s been in operation for about a year, it''s been really popular since then."

    "The user can change it as they please, they can change the world as if it was a dream. Although I''ve heard there are reservations for it six months ahead of time."

    "Oh, come to think of it, there''s a rumour that the karate club captain''s father is one of higher ups at the company managing it. It seems like he has connections."

    "Fuun..."

    Taiga''s reaction was really bland.

    Since he only knew ¡¶Aries¡· and ¡¶Virtual New City¡· he didn''t know about its greatness.

    But it seemed to be different for his little sister.

    "Brotherr..."

    It was a double combo of looking up at him and pulling the hem of his uniform. Although he knew what it was she was aiming for, she was too adorable.

    "...you want to go there?"

    "Yes!"

    "Rui-san also wants to go there?..."

    There was no way to refuse after being asked by the two of them. Taiga lined up at the end of the queue and observed other challengers as he waited for his turn.

    The goal is to score above five hundred points. The guy just now had a little more than three hundred¡ª¡ª

    If Taiga hit it at full power, the machine would definitely break. It meant he had to go easy on it, he can''t score too high or too low. He has to adjust it somehow to the extent of hitting a little above the target number.

    He observed the fifteen people in front of him and continued to modify the image he had by taking their specs and scores into account. Finally, Taiga''s turn came.

    At the reception he filled the form with ''Tenryo Taiga, Cyber Department''. And received the glove from an upperclassman who openly didn''t expect anything of him.

    Well no wonder. For someone from sports department, the cyber department students were a group of ''wimpy geeks''. For everyone present at the recruitment with exception of the two girls who knew him, Taiga was a ''reckless challenger''.

    Taiga slowly took a deep breath, gently lowered his hips, he gathered strength according to his image while surveying his surroundings¡ª¡ªand swung his left fist.

    Just as students looked away from him, they heard a heavy and dull sound.

    "F-five hundred and thirty points."

    The student in charge announced the amount of points in disbelief.

    And the measuring machine retracted nearly a meter away, everyone could tell that it was hit with a considerable amount of force.

    "Thirty points over. ...well, this should be enough."

    While the upperclassmen were taken aback, Taiga returned to the reception and held out his hand.

    "I''ve cleared it, can I receive the prize?"

    "Ah, yes. There you go."

    Taiga prompted the upperclassman who blanked out and received an electronic card that can be scanned with a terminal. Then he turned on his heel and headed towards where Fuyuki and Rui were before walking away cheerfully.

    "...eh, where did that guy go?!"

    Before they noticed the golden egg has disappeared, the three of them were already gone.

    "We got something really good. Good job Brother!"

    As Taiga held the prize he acquired in his hand, Fuyuki smiled at him from the other counter seat.

    Rui who peeped from the seat next to him read an explanation from her terminal.

    "It can be used only for an hour? Mm, it can''t be helped. But it''s free and can be used without reservation."

    They were in Rui''s home, at caf¨¦ ¡¶Paradise¡·.

    The three of them finished touring the Shinkansai and quickly escaping the school they returned to New City.

    They already finished lunch, in the small store there were only three of them and ¡¶Paradise¡·''s master, Rui''s father who was the back of the store.

    It''s Saturday and yet we''re the only customers here, is this store really alright?

    The food is delicious and the waitress is cute, normally ¡¶Paradise¡· would be very popular, but the location in the back of the street was really poor and there wasn''t many customers entering.

    But it seems like the business is booming in the evening... something is not right.

    Paradise was Jyugo''s hobby, and during the night it was open as a chic bar. He saw it several times, but it was always crowded.

    When they used the shop like normal Taiga was at ease, but when the store he was familiar with was used like that his mood worsened.

    "Taiga, why are you making such a difficult face?"

    "It''s nothing. So, how are you going to use these preferential rights?"

    "Since theres no real time limit, we''ll do it when we have time. It''s our first time using such a structure so it''ll be fun."

    "Eh? But can''t Fuyuki make a similar program?"

    "Unfortunately little sister''s skills are only suited for actual combat, they''re unsuitable for entertainment."

    Fuyuki was best at hacking, as a programmer her nature and speciality was ''optimizing the events''. And entertainment was for her ''pointless effort'' and she didn''t give it much thought.

    "So you''ve never made one before?"

    "...no, I''ve made one, just once. It was a gift for my friend. In the end, I couldn''t pass it to her."

    "? What do you mean Fuyuki¡ª¡ª"

    "Well then¡ª¡ªit''s about time we went back. It seems like a good moment."

    As he asked the question casually, Fuyuki''s voice was dark and quiet. Taiga wanted to ask her what happened since it was the first time he heard that kind of voice come from her, but it seemed like she was hiding something.

    It was fifty past two in the afternoon. While it still shouldn''t be a ''good moment''¡ª¡ª

    "Oh right, the maintenance in ¡¶Aries¡· should be over in ten minutes."

    "Yeah. Let''s dive in and hunt for a bit."

    The siblings paid for the lunch and returned home and headed straight to the room in which various machines were placed which was named ''Dive Room''.

    They sat down on the two chairs in the middle, and connected the equipment surrounding them.

    When they turned on the machines the devices made a dull sound as they started.

    A specialized machine allowing two people to dive in Elysion¡ª¡ªthey proceeded with the activation of Arclight. They checked various life-support systems, the medium-sized machine was equipped with and completed preparations by linking the terminal with the headgear.

    "You''re quite used to it already."

    "Well after doing it every day of course I''ll learn it. Dive start."

    He closed his eyes and muttered, his consciousness blacked out in an instant.

    His body''s data was stored in electronic within the terminal¡ª¡ªand was transferred to his virtual body, his nerves and five senses were also switched one after another.

    The last one to transfer was his soul. It was complex human data made of personality and memory called mental structure, it was removed from the body and embedded into the virtual body.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª Log In ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "...alright."

    He opened his eyes and no longer saw the familiar room.

    It was a fantastic spectacle of a cool mountain stream and abundant dark greenery.

    A magical sky unlike that in reality was towering over him and spreading far and wide and majestic land dominated by nature.

    Elysion¡ª¡ªin the modern days almost everyone used this world made up of electrons.

    It''s the lifeline of security and management, it''s even used for research and entertainment, it seemed like a second utopia.

    And that electronic world consisted of a multitude of structures rivalling the numbers of stars in the sky, both large and small.

    It was one of them, a large structure managed by Kiritou Group ¡¶Aries¡· .

    It''s said that tens of thousands of people connect to it at the same time and subdue monsters that appear in form of naturally occuring bugs and viruses, this grand fantasy world is continously gaining in popularity.

    "I didn''t log in for only a day, but it feels like it''s been a while."

    As Taiga pulled off grass beside him, the grass in his hand became small particles of light and faded away into nothingness. He put on the special white coat suggested to him by ¡¶Aries¡· and clenched his fist to ascertain the senses throughout his body.

    "It is slightly sluggish after all."

    "That can''t be helped. The mental structure and virtual body aren''t tuned perfectly. In the first place, Brother is the only one who can notice such a small difference."

    As he looked behind, there was his little sister wearing a strange outfit that was a combination of both kimono and a dress instead of her school uniform. The red and black kimono was fitting for her long black hair.

    "But your physical abilities really are monstrous. To think you can''t get serious because the system cannot keep up with you."

    "Even if I can''t use all my strength here, it still is a good change of pace. And it''s not like I can act violently in the real world now."

    "Is that so, then that''s good."

    Fuyuki put some strength in her leg and lightly jumped to a branch three meters above the ground. Of course, it wasn''t a feat Fuyuki can do normally with her poor athletic abilities.

    Players connected to ¡¶Aries¡· are ranked from E to S. Additional assistance is given to the user''s body depending on their rank. Fuyuki is a B-rank which is third rank from the top, and her physical ability was as she just displayed.

    Taiga''s rank was the lowest since he was an E rank, but his original physical abilities exceeded that of Fuyuki''s in ¡¶Aries¡·.

    "The move point is a bit further, it seems like we have to walk through the forest."

    "That''s a bit troublesome... speaking of which, isn''t Rui here yet?"

    "Did you call me¡ª?

    He heard a voice from above, Rui was wearing a lab coat on top of skimpy clothes and sat on top of a small cliff.

    "I took a look around here, but there''s no big monsters there. We can just ignore them."

    Rui lightly jumped down from a height of above ten metres and safely landed. She already had excellent athletic abilities and she was S ranked in Aries. Her status was pretty high.

    "So Fuyuki, what do we do now?"

    "While we can immediately start hunting some bounties since there''s no shortage of them because of maintenance. But first I''ll lecture Brother about ¡¶Aries¡· for a moment."

    "A lecture, is there anything I can still learn after all this time?"

    "There is. First, let''s move to the move point¡ª¡ª"

    Fuyuki guessed something and jumped down from a branch, the next moment a rugged spear flew in between the branches.

    "Oh?"

    As he traced the trajectory of the spear, there in the river was a lizard-like humanoid monster holding a spear.

    "A lizardman. How disrespectful for someone of such a low standing to attack this little sister."

    Fuyuki landed safely and fixed her untidy hair and raised her right hand towards the sky. In her hand appeared a folding fan decorated with crimson leaves.

    "Now, we''re ready so let''s go."

    "Right?. There''s three of them so it''s one for each of us."

    Taiga pulled out an over a meter long Japanese sword from his waist and Rui placed small pebbles in a characteristic shape between her fingers.

    Taiga''s ¡¶Heavenly Sword¡·, Fuyuki''s ¡¶Elemental Sphere¡·, and Rui''s ¡¶Creative Stones¡· ¡ª¡ª¡ªStarting their respective attack-configured programs the three of them started to move at the same time.

    In an instant Taiga closed the distance between them and cut both the lizardman and his spear in two. Fuyuki broke the red sphere with her fan and summoned a flame and the creative stones Rui has thrown changed into swords before piercing the enemy''s body.

    These blows exceeded the lizardmen''s durability and they turned into particles of light.

    This was the ¡¶Aries¡· structure. Each and every player in this world acts as a debugger.

    Among the monsters there were powerful individual with a bounty money on them and only the strong players were able to subdue those.

    Taiga and the others were a three people team that subdued enemies for bounty every day.

    "I have to fight against these guys again..."

    Ten minutes later, for some reason Taiga ended up alone in the forest.

    He was separated from the others after defeating the lizardman from before, it was the same forest in which he first fought monsters two weeks earlier.

    Blocking Taiga''s way was the over two metres long worm (or an organisms resembling a pink earthworm) and a herd of giant mantises.

    Since they looked disgusting he didn''t want to fight them ever again¡ª¡ª

    "It can''t be helped."

    Taiga gave up and started to dismantle the monsters whose appearance was based on insects.

    Of course, he didn''t come to a place like this for fun.

    There was a small update together with this maintenance, it was a fix applied to all players of rank B and above. Fuyuki and Rui went to a place called central district to apply the procedure. As they went ahead, Taiga was left alone.

    And thus, Taiga continued to walk through the forest that was crawling with small fries, just as Fuyuki told him to, he arrived in the open area soon after.

    "The starting point should be around here..."

    It was right beside the forest''s exit, a wide grassland. A carpet of golden-coloured natural grass spread all over. The majestic grassland occupied the entire scenery stretching for kilometres, it spread as far as he could see.

    Taiga didn''t know what to do after that. Although he was told to wait in this place, he couldn''t just stand like an idiot in the prairie.

    He started to walk to the centre of the grassland, as he headed towards it he found a girl rooted on spot, he stopped moving.

    "¡ª¡ªEh?"

    Seeing people wasn''t rare, but what caught his attention was the way she was dressed.

    She wore plain, real clothes rather than an outfit from ¡¶Aries¡·, and she had no weapons. It was the first time she came from the real world into this place, he was convinced of that.

    "Uuuu... it isn''t too user friendly... I want a manual..."

    The girl was glaring at the opened window, and complained dissatisfied with a small voice. She didn''t notice him at all.

    I still have some time.

    He made a fast decision, and changed his destination. He walked towards the girl.

    She noticed the sound of his footsteps, looked towards him and asked warily.

    "...who?"

    "No, I thought you seem to have some trouble so I wanted to help you out. I''m not anyone suspicious... I think."

    Recalling how he was clothed (and that he carried a sword) he spoke more politely. With that, the girl''s gaze softened, it didn''t seem like she found him suspiscious.

    Like light snow¡ª¡ªhe thought that as he looked at the girl.

    That could''ve been because she had cool shoulder-length hair, or maybe that was because of the atmosphere she exuded. Or perhaps both.

    She was slightly taller than Fuyuki, and her age was about the same. She had a thin body that could be encompassed by a single arm, her hands and feet seemed like they would break with just a little force. Her skin was so white, it seemed as if she never went out. She looked like a western doll, there was no other girl that description would fit better.

    A light snow that would melt away the moment it was touched, that was his first impression of the silver-haired girl.

    "So, what happened?"

    "...umm, I only have the initial settings set-up here... and I can''t move now."

    "Indeed, going anywhere while looking like that would be disastrous."

    The white one piece wasn''t offering enough protection, and her white skin would definitely bait monsters in.

    "Sorry, I don''t know how to change the initial settings either."

    "...is that so."

    The girl''s dropped her shoulders disappointed. And looking at the crystal she had in her right hand she sighed.

    "It''s too early to give up. Others will come in a moment. They did my initial settings before, why don''t they teach you?"

    The girl didn''t know whether she should trust Taiga, she was at a loss for a moment¡ª¡ªand gave him a small nod.

    "I''ll wait then."

    "I see."

    Just the two of them in the vast grassland, Taiga and the silver-haired girl continued to wait.

    The atmosphere seemed uncomfortable ever since they met, the girl seemed to hate it and was acting restless; staring away. Fuyuki was scared of strangers, but this girl might be beyond that level.

    "Are you alone?"

    Maybe that was why Taiga tried talking to her naturally.

    Although the girl was flustered after being talked to suddenly, she slowly fixed her breathing and replied.

    "...yes. I just dived for a bit to have a change of pace from studying."

    "Is that so. That free pass a moment ago, what was that?"

    "Umm, something I was given. I wanted to throw it away."

    He expanded the conversation bit by bit.

    While not trying to press on her too much, he tried to accustom her to talking with people¡ª¡ªwhat he learned when dealing with Fuyuki was useful.

    They talked about silly things for a few minutes, and the girl''s stiffness gradually went away.

    Finally, he saw Fuyuki''s and Rui''s figures at the edge of the forest, and at that moment.

    "Ah, Taiga¡ª! Sorry for the wait?!"

    Rui came over while waving her hand, Taiga answered raising his own. And when he attempted to introduce the girl¡ª¡ªhe noticed an abnormality.

    "...those eyes, long black hair... it can''t be..."

    The girl murmured while dumbfounded and stared at the two who were walking towards them.

    No, she wasn''t looking at the two of them, the one she stared at was¡ª¡ª

    "...eh?"

    The girl''s gazes met, and Fuyuki''s expression froze.

    "...Hime-chan?"

    The silver-haired girl muttered someone''s name in disbelief. There was only one person among them with ¡¸Hime¡¹ in her name.3

    Taiga stared at his little sister''s face as he thought that¡ª¡ª

    "...why are you here... Karasuba Shio."

    With a trembling voice Fuyuki spoke the name of the silver-haired girl.

    Translator''s Notes and References

    - 1.¡ü ¼À (sai) which is the last kanji in the Shinkansai name if written alone means festival (matsuri), all kinds of festival names often end with ¼À (sai).

    - 2.¡ü http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yutori_education

    - 3.¡ü Fuyuki''s name is written as ¶¬Šª, and the Šª kanji can be read as Hime.

 Volume 2, 2 - The Light and The Shadow

    Volume 2, Chapter 2 - The Light and The Shadow

    Part 1

    Silence had come.

    The two girls who had an unexpected, chance meeting were at a loss for words. Neither Taiga nor Rui knew anything about it and their gaze drifted between Fuyuki and the silver-haired girl.

    "H-hey... Hime-chan..."

    "Most likely she refers to Fuyuki. Also that name... Karasuba Shio, was it."

    "By Karasuba, does she mean that Karasuba...?"

    Karasuba. The name that is known throughout the entire world. One of the four major corporates that governs the cyber market. The household Fuyuki was adopted to eight years ago, and from which she ran away just the other day.

    "It''s been a while, hasn''t it."

    The one who broke the silence was the silver-haired girl¡ª¡ªKarasuba Shio.

    "It''s the first time we meet face-to-face... in seven years, was it? I recognized you immediately thanks to your eye colour."

    Fuyuki didn''t answer. But the moment she heard that it''s been seven years, she started to tremble as if she was frightened of something and looked down. Seeing Fuyuki act clearly different than usual, Rui asked him in a low voice.

    "...how are they related?"

    "Who knows... but considering her state, they aren''t simply acquaintances."

    Compared to the scared Fuyuki, Shio looked pretty normal. It felt like Fuyuki felt one-sidedly at fault about something.

    Taiga felt a strange discomfort from the girl called Karasuba Shio.

    "...why... are you here..."

    Fuyuki asked with a trembling voice.

    "That''s my line. The culprit who hacked the main server of Karasuba, no matter how much you camouflaged it is probably Hime-chan right? As always, your skills are amazing."

    After hearing Shio''s word, Taiga noticed what was causing him discomfort.

    Not just the fact that she carried the name of Karasuba, it was without a doubt that she was a member of that group.

    Because Fuyuki dealt extensive damage to Karasuba, it wasn''t a happy reunion but a meeting with an opponent who denounced her crimes.

    Even so, the girl called Karasuba Shio only felt respect and admiration.

    "...aren''t you angry?"

    It seemed like Fuyuki thought the same and asked the question.

    For some reason. His little sister thought otherwise¡ª¡ªwithout any basis for it, that''s what intuition told Taiga.

    "Angry? Me? Why would I be?"

    "Because... little sister at that time..."

    Fuyuki''s voice was very feeble, it was completely different from her usual voice that was filled with self-confidence.

    It wasn''t a devil who bullied his little sister, it was a single frail girl.

    "I''m not angry or anything. If anything, I''m grateful to Hime-chan."

    "Gra...teful...?"

    "Yup. It''s all thanks to Hime-chan. Even if I play around like this I won''t be told off by father, the fact that all the work has been wasted, all of it, was thanks to Hime-chan helping me and the researchers to give up."

    The silver-haired girl said so and smiled faintly.

    Not an evil, but a colourless transparent smile that displayed negative feelings.

    "............"

    The moment she saw that smile, Fuyuki realized just how much did that girl change in seven years. No, how much she herself changed.

    When she thought so, Fuyuki turned her back to Shio and ran away.

    Taiga''s and Rui''s voice didn''t reach her from behind.

    She wanted to run away as soon as possible from the mistakes she made, run away from the past that should have been left behind.

    Where are you going to run now? ¡ª¡ªWhere this time? She felt as if she heard a voice saying that behind her.

    When Taiga returned to the real world, it was already evening.

    "...now. Where did Imouto-sama go?"

    The vermilion light of the setting sun entered through the gap in the curtains, Taiga turned off the Arclight and squinted. Instead of his little sister''s figure on the second machine''s seat, there was a headgear thrown on the floor. Before, when Taiga did something similar she got really angry and said ''and what if it broke?''.

    She''ll probably be over there...

    He left the dive room to look for his little sister and entered the bedroom.

    As expected, she hid behind the large bed that filled nearly half of the room. She squeezed herself into a small gap and sat down while holding her knees.

    "Found you. It still didn''t change even after eight years, your habit of squeezing yourself into narrow places when you''re down."

    "...Onii."

    "Oh, that''s an unusual way of calling me."

    Taiga sat on the edge of the bed and gently stroked his little sister''s head. Her sleek black hair flowed with just a light touch, it felt very comfortable.

    "Don''t misunderstand though, I''m not feeling down. I just thought it would be nice to sit in a place like this since it''s been a while."

    "Is that so."

    The conversation ended with just that, Taiga continued to gently stroke his little sister''s head as she tried to act strong. He didn''t ask anything, he didn''t say anything. He believed that was for the best at the moment.

    ¡´"So, how''s Fuyuki?"¡µ

    "She went to take a bath, we''re going to rest early today."

    Taiga spoke to a holographic window in front of him as he cleaned the dishes after dinner. Displayed on it was Rui who was in middle of work, she had an appearance of a neat and clean maid.

    ¡´"Shio-chan, was it. Did you hear the circumstances concerning that girl?"¡µ

    "No, I didn''t hear anything. And I have no intention of asking her."

    ¡´"Eh? Why?"¡µ

    "It''s just my intuition, but it isn''t just depression. Let''s just wait until Fuyuki tells us by herself."

    In fact, he really wanted to help his sister immediately. But... if he did that it might backfire, that''s what he felt.

    It was a problem between those two.

    ¡´"I see. Yup. If Taiga thinks so, it has to be like that."¡µ

    Rui smiled as she said so. Just by looking at her cheerful expression, he felt better over the fact that he neglected Fuyuki.

    ¡´"Ah, but you shouldn''t leave her alone."¡µ

    "I know. I want to consult with you, are you free tomorrow?"

    ¡´"Nn?, I''ll have to help in the shop a bit in the morning, but aside from that there''s nothing."¡µ

    "That''s good. ¡ª¡ªTomorrow''s the 1st, I want you to take Fuyuki outside, please."

    ¡´"That shouldn''t be a problem."¡µ

    "I appreciate it. Ah, one more thing. Teach me how to set-up initial settings in ¡¶Aries¡·."

    ¡´"...how to set-up initial settings?"¡µ

    Not knowing the purpose of his request, Rui made a questioning smile.

    Part 2

    Next day, nine o''clock in the morning.

    "...fuu, I''ve sweat a lot."

    After his routine training Taiga took a shower and was eating breakfast in the living room.

    Because he couldn''t cook, it was a simple meal made up of bread and coffee.

    It was Sunday, a regular holiday. Of course there was no school today.

    Although he spent five hours of his holiday on his training routine, he cleaned up the dishes and entered the bedroom Fuyuki was sleeping in.

    "Fuyuki, it''s about time to wake up."

    "...nnyuu...still...sleepy..."

    He poked the sleeping Fuyuki''s shoulder, but she shook off his hand. The futon fell off her body so her thin negligee and black laced lingerie were visible so he looked away momentarily. Although he was accustomed to it, he still couldn''t look at it directly.

    "An hour longer, let me sleep for another hour..."

    "Don''t act selfish, hurry and wake up."

    Even though she always said she wants to sleep a little bit more, this time it was much worse than usual.

    With grim determination Taiga cast away the futon and carried Fuyuki in his embrace to the washroom. With that Fuyuki opened her eyes and complained "Why do I have to get up on a holiday..." before washing her face, fixing her hair and changing into a proper dress.

    ...she looks better than I thought.

    Taiga felt relieved seeing her act like usual. It might have been her just acting strong like the day before but it was still better than her shutting herself in.

    And then, *ding-dong*, a sound of intercom resounded.

    "Who is it so early in the morning?"

    "She came. Hey, come on."

    Taiga headed towards the front door while pulling Fuyuki''s hand and opened the door.

    "Yahoo?! Good morning you two?!"

    "...Rucchan?"

    The one who greeted them with a big smile on her face was Saionji Rui. Her chestnut fluffy hair bounced, emitting an aura as bright as the sun.

    "Then Rui, I leave the rest to you."

    "Yeah, leave it to me. That''s why... let''s go Fuyuki!"

    "Eh?"

    Suddenly Rui grabbed Fuyuki''s arm and pulled her outside by force. Significantly weaker Fuyuki did her best to protest and at least wear shoes.

    "Rucchan?! What''s this all of a sudden?!"

    "Then Taiga, we''ll be back before dinner!"

    "Have fu¡ª"

    "Before that explain¡ª¡ªno, Rucchan don''t pull me I''ll walk on my own!"

    "Come outside first?"

    She suddenly pulled the confused Fuyuki towards the elevator, and the door was closed. Their voices slowly faded and silence came.

    "...now, let''s get to work."

    He returned to the dive room and immediately started preparations to start the Arclight.

    It was absolutely necessary to dive alone today.

    "¡ª¡ªDive start."

    The moment he said those words his consciousness dived into the paradise consisting of electrons.

    After a moment of light-headedness, Taiga stood in the middle of the grassland that was the starting point.

    "This place... it really is huge."

    According to Rui''s explanation he heard last night, people who connect for the first time will always appear in here. But, how many people could it hold. He thought it was wide enough to hold several hundred people at the same time.

    "Now, I wonder if she''s here¡ª¡ªoh, there she is."

    Just as planned, no, he found the person he wanted to see earlier than expected. Taiga smiled because he was very lucky.

    "...I was prepared to wait for half a day, it''s really my lucky day."

    His line of sight was focused on the silver-haired girl who manipulated windows just like the day before. She was startled and had a surprised expression.

    "Hey, we meet again."

    "Ah... umm... the person I met yesterday?"

    A girl wearing a dress unsuitable for Aries¡ª¡ªKarasuba Shio stared at him puzzled. Taiga approached her not minding it and looked at the window from the side.

    "Are you still struggling with the difficult settings?"

    "...y-yes."

    Although it seemed like she tried various things, she still couldn''t get past them. She didn''t contact the management, it was convenient for Taiga. Thanks to that he could easily enter a conversation with her.

    "Sorry for suddenly logging out yesterday. Although I can only say sorry, but do you want me to teach you how to set up the default settings? I''ve learned it earlier."

    "Eh...? Is that okay?"

    "That was my intention from the beginning. Also¡ª¡ªI''m interested since you are Fuyuki''s acquaintance."

    The moment she heard that name Shio made a long face. It seemed like she wasn''t just an acquaintance.

    "For the time being let me introduce myself. I''m Tenryo Taiga, Fuyuki''s brother."

    "Hime-chan''s onii-san...?"

    Shio looked at Taiga''s entire body suspiciously and in the end she stared at his sky blue eyes.

    "Oh you really are, your eye colour is identical."

    Their pupils had a very rare colour. Even though the siblings didn''t look much alike, it was clear with just that much.

    "I see. Hime-chan''s name was originally Tenryo..."

    Mixed feelings swirled in Shio''s pupils as she murmured that.

    After catching her interest Taiga continued.

    "Then, are you going to take me up on my offer?"

    "...I would be really thankful but, is it fine with Onii-san?"

    "I don''t mind at all¡ª¡ªalso, by ''Onii-san'' you mean me?"

    "Yup. Because you''re Hime-chan''s Onii-san right?"

    He wondered about being called like that. But if Shio was fine with that, he didn''t want to force her to change it. It was a little embarrassing, but it wasn''t all that bad.

    Even though Shio''s fear of strangers was on Fuyuki''s level judging by the glare she gave him, she was surprisingly sociable or rather he felt that she was more open-minded. Maybe it was thanks to the conversation they had yesterday, or because he was Fuyuki''s brother.

    Anyway, it seems like a good start.

    He continued to shorten the distance that way.

    "You can call me what you like. Ah, also I''m going to teach you now how to set-up the default settings.

    This is the recommended setting for people who are poor at athletics."

    "...eh? Why do you know I''m bad at it?"

    "I can tell that much just by looking at you."

    Not only he could tell if someone was poor at exercising, but could also measure their physical ability just by looking at their arm and leg muscles.

    Shio was about the same as Fuyuki, maybe a little worse. It would be hard for her to suddenly play or have a battle in a structure like that.

    "...I didn''t have time to spare for exercises."

    She didn''t have time to exercise¡ª¡ªthese words caught his attention a little, but it wasn''t time to pursue their meaning.

    "Then about the setting? Can you show me how to fight too?"

    "If you want to, then yeah."

    "...Onii-san, do you know about me and Hime-chan?"

    "Nope, not at all. I don''t want to stick my neck into a problem between the two of you, I have no intention of doing that. That would be meddling."

    Hearing that, Shio closed her eyes to think for a moment.

    Honestly, it might have been a pointless act done by Taiga. He won''t learn anything about Shio with this, and it won''t cheer Fuyuki up.

    He just couldn''t leave her alone like that. But with her crippled smile, she looked similar to his little sister.

    "...then, just for a moment I''ll be intruding on you."

    Like that, a strange pair has formed for a limited amount of time.

    "Umm, this goes here and this here¡ª¡ª¡ªoh, it''s starting it''s starting."

    He fiddled with the open window based on his memory of what Rui taught him, another window expanded and an artificial voice announced.

    ¡´"Welcome to ¡¶Aries¡· structure managed by the Kiritou Group. From now on you shall become inhabitants of this world and hunt monsters during your adventures."¡µ

    A promotional video briefly describing mechanisms of ¡¶Aries¡· was played. On a dozen number of screens were displayed all kind of weapons.

    ¡´"Now, please pick your attack-configured program. If you have prepared one yourself, then skip this step. Also, together with this initial armament, your costume will also be changed automatically."¡µ

    The weapon that could be chosen were: two handed swords, one handed swords, shields, bows, knives, hammers, spears, Japanese swords. There were also minor weapons like tonfas or kusarigamas.

    "I have to choose from those? There''s so many that I''m lost..."

    "Do you have any experience using these... there''s no way you do, is there."

    "Yup."

    "Then, between short and long range which one you''d like better?"

    "...long range."

    There were several ranged weapons from relatively major ones like bows and crossbows to things like chakrams, there were also weapons not even Taiga touched before. Aries was really dreadful.

    "For the time being let''s try the bow. ...ah, it seems like I can pick a secondary weapon."

    "Then you should pick a melee weapon. One with small reach should be fine. Shio wouldn''t be able to swing a long one properly, right?"

    After selecting a dagger as her secondary weapon, a blue light wrapped around Shio.

    Light particles flocked and covered Shio''s virtual body. When the phosphorescence disappeared her outfit completely changed.

    "Oh¡ª...you look like a hunter."

    She wore a stunning hunter costume. Taiga didn''t know, but the costume had an elven motif.

    Probably to better conceal in the woods (or at least that was the setting) it was mostly green.

    Her shoulders were bare for her upper body''s ease of movement and her thighs were exposed. But it wasn''t excessive exposure, on her right leg she had a knee-sock, on her left she had a belt holding the dagger.

    "This is somewhat... weird outfit. And its pretty risqu¨¦ too..."

    "Nono, that much is still alright. You look pretty good in it."

    Although the costume gave her a flexible and graceful image, but strangely it didn''t feel like a mismatch. Rather than that, coupled with her pure white skin and silver hair it added to her mysterious atmosphere.

    Shio turned around to check her own appearance, on her back there was a rugged bow, something she had never seen in her everyday life. She stared at it.

    And then, something out of place appeared on the edge of her field of view. Floating ten meters away was a plate with circles drawn on it.

    "You have to shoot that, probably."

    "Eh? ...that''s impossible. I''ve never done it before, there''s no way I''ll hit something so small."

    "Just try it for the time being. We''ll discuss it later."

    "B-but there''s no arrow¡ª¡ª"

    The moment she said that an arrow appeared on Shio''s palm. At the same time ¡´"The arrow is automatically generated by the image."¡µ sounded an announcement which cut off her escape route.

    "Looks like there''s one. Come on, let''s challenge."1

    "Uuu... Onii-san is high-handed..."

    The window displayed an arrow being shot, still reluctant Shio set up the arrow to mimic the video. She adjusted her aim, targeting the plate and released the hand that was holding the feather.

    Propelled by the stretched string, the arrow vigorously launched forward penetrating the target¡ª¡ª......no such thing. Instead it flew only few meters ahead and hit the ground.

    "...well, something like that."

    Although Shio tilted her neck, Taiga thought it was an obvious result.

    There wasn''t enough force put into pulling the arrow, even if the aim was good. But it wouldn''t fly far, it was surprising it flew that much.

    I thought it would immediately fall down... it seems like there''s support.

    Enemies were monsters, a target that was moving around.

    Perhaps for people like Shio right now, who can''t hit the stationary target there is a system that augments the flying distance of the arrows and allows anyone to handle a bow easily with little practice.

    "Shio, put more strength into your arm as you pull it, it won''t fly otherwise."

    "Even if you say that, I''m not that strong..."

    "No such thing. It might be true in the real world, but this is Elysion. The muscle strength required is minimal and everything else is provided, as long as you have a clear image you''ll be able to do anything."

    Taiga remembered his conversation with Rui the night before.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªThen can a girl who is as weak as Fuyuki play it?

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªNo problem. If original physical strength doesn''t reach the average value, it''s automatically corrected. It''s improved to the level of an average highschooler or so.

    "To have your arrow fly straight you need an image in your head. If you do that, you will be able to tell how much strength is required, it''s easy to sense it. And then, well, just believe. Believe in the fact that you can do it."

    "Believing might be the hardest but... I''ll try."

    Shio created another arrow, slowly took a deep breath and made a proper posture. And then¡ª¡ª

    "Fuu!"

    After a short pause, she shot it.

    Unlike the weakly flying arrow from earlier, the arrow flew at a fast pace. But the aim was off and it hit the ground like the previous one.

    "A pity. If your aim didn''t go off the moment you shoot, it would''ve hit."

    "...it looks like it''s impossible for me after all."

    He thought that for a while, but rather than Shio being mentally weak, it was her evaluating herself too low.

    That was what caused her to fail, a negative spiral that further made her lose confidence.

    We have to change that first I guess.

    Fortunately, Taiga was a pro when it came to handling weapons. He could teach her a lot.

    "Then, the next opponent will be a monster."

    "Eh? And what about that target?"

    "We leave it. When you''re targeted by a monster it won''t be just standing in place."

    "B-but suddenly real combat is..."

    "It''s all right, it''ll be fine. It was the same for me. The monster over here is disgusting so if you don''t defeat it before it approaches you, something horrible is going to happen you know??"

    "Awawa... s-stop!! Let me rest for a moment¡ª¡ª"

    "There''s no need for that. Now, let''s go¡ª!"

    Taiga took Shio''s hand and pulled her to the forest.

    Part 3

    At about the same time as Taiga and Shio proceeded through ¡¶Aries¡·.

    On the terrace of a Caf¨¦ near New City''s main station were the figures of Rui and Fuyuki.

    "Yahaa¡ª as usual, the sandwiches here are really delicious¡ª"

    It was slightly late to call it a breakfast since it was nine o''clock. While Rui was wearing a perfectly coordinated outfit with a high amount of exposure and ate lightly, Fuyuki was eating like a hamster, taking small bites.

    "Fuyuki, aren''t you hungry? That''s no good? you need to eat breakfast properly."

    "...it''s about time you said what''s the purpose of this. Why did you bring little sister outside?"

    "Nn? That''s because we haven''t played together just the two of us lately you know? Lately Taiga''s been with us the entire time."

    Rui gave her an answer with a blank expression causing Fuyuki to sigh. At a single glance it was clear she was plotting something, considering the way her brother acted in home it seemed like he was part of it too.

    Seriously, what a meddlesome pair.

    It seemed like she really made them worry.

    "I understand. I''ll take that as the truth for now. Do you have anything planned?"

    "Fooling around until sunset, that is all!"

    "In other words ''no plan'' is it."

    Fuyuki was amazed by her best friend''s haphazard declaration.

    "Well, it''s not like I don''t have a plan at all? I thought I could pick some clothes for Fuyuki."

    "Clothes... is it?"

    "Yup. Fuyuki has a lot of similar clothes right? You need some variation when it comes to clothes!"

    "Little sister already told you before, that she''s not familiar with something like that."

    To be precise, she didn''t have a need to worry about clothes up until now.

    She was alone in a small laboratory, immersed in work every day. She was fine with any clothes. The only clothes she owned were the ones she took from home when she ran away, she knew nothing about fashion and trends.

    "It''s a shame because you''re so cute. For girls, fashion is a weapon you know?"

    "Haa... a weapon."

    "That''s right. And it''s not just to appeal to boys, it''s also important to care about it when among girls. Fuyuki looks good no matter what she wears, think about it. Don''t you think if you were to wear the same clothes you usually do when going on a date with Taiga, there would be no freshness?"

    "Muu... that might be right."

    As expected, when her brother name was mentioned she could no longer ignore it.

    Because she had a date promised before the Grim Reaper incident last week, it wouldn''t hurt to pick some battle clothes now.

    "Then it''s decided. Let''s go at once!"

    "I appreciate it, but is that fine with Rucchan? Isn''t Rucchan a rival that competes with me for Brother?"

    Just like Fuyuki, Rui was also attracted to Taiga. That''s what she herself had declared last week.

    Since they were competing with each other, she didn''t expect Rui to cheer her on actively¡ª¡ª

    "Nn? before being my rival, Fuyuki is my friend. And if my friend wants to look cute for a person she likes, I''ll gladly help her."

    Hearing Rui say such a thing with a big smile, Fuyuki sighed once again.

    "Haa. That''s right, Rucchan is that kind of person."

    "That''s the person I am. Come on, eat up and let''s go?"

    The two girls resumed their breakfast while basked in warm sunlight.

    "You shot down 73 of them, are you used to it yet?"

    "...if that''s all I do I''ll get used to it even if I don''t want to."

    On the other hand, the two inside Elysion finally left the forest.

    He left the countless monsters they encountered along the way (or rather lured them at her) to the silver-haired girl and as a result, her skill with a bow improved in a short while. Since Shio''s opponents were all disgusting monsters, her mood worsened significantly.

    She got used to moving in cyber world and was able to defeat the enemies they encountered with room to spare.

    Then after an hour of walking through the forest the two finally reached the exit.

    "Why is there a gate at the forest''s exit?"

    "No idea. It''s probably the creator''s hobby. Even so, it is a ridiculously huge gate."

    The two of them stopped by the forest''s exit and looked up the huge gate. Ahead of them was a cliff, and there was no other route that could be used.

    And, as the two of them waited, a large window emerged in front of the gate.

    ¡´"¡ºForest of Silence¡» completed, congratulations. If you proceed, the tutorial will be finished. If you journey to a new location, adjusting your equipment will be left to your own discretion and you''re free to do as you please."¡µ

    As the voice message finished, the heavy gate slowly opened.

    ¡´"Now then, please enjoy your second life in ¡¶Aries¡·."¡µ

    Beyond the door there was only light. It simply seemed ''fantasy-like''.

    "...shall we go?"

    "...yes."

    They looked at each other and took a step towards the light at the same time.

    ¡´"¡ª¡ªMove"¡µ

    Immediately after that he experienced something he felt many times before, it was as if his entire body was being twisted.

    When they were able to distinguish colours again, rather than being surrounded by lush and dense forest vegetation, they were right in the middle of a city crowded by people.

    "Waa?"

    Unconsciously, Shio raised a voice of admiration. Taiga reacted similarly in the past, he looked at the unfolding spectacle with a surprised expression.

    It was a strange place completely different from cities in the real world.

    The first thing that entered their vision was the abundance of nature. There were rivers running throughout the entire city, non-existing in reality, trees that emitted seven colours of light arranged all over. The buildings were fitting for the world, and were fashionably build out of stone.

    In the square where the two were, there was a fountain that ejected water high up in the air, giving birth to an arched rainbow. On top of it, there were several people.

    It was a town filled with fantasy.

    "...I thought I wasn''t into fantasy settings but this is somewhat extraordinary."

    Taiga muttered, overwhelmed by the sight of the city.

    As he looked up, there was a huge rock floating in the sky and there was a spiral that connected to the building on top of it. Unconsciously he thought that it went beyond common sense.

    It seemed to be quite a big city, according to the map he expanded from his terminal they seemed to be in the city''s centre. On the upper corner of the map there was it''s name written, ¡¶Central District, Central Kadora¡·.

    And with that, a single question appeared.

    "So, what do I do now?"

    According to the announcement at the gate, the tutorial was already over. There will be no more guidance.

    "It said ''do as you please'' is what it said but..."

    "Let''s catch someone and ask. Wait a moment."

    The two beginners couldn''t make any progress alone.

    Since it was impossible for Shio who was scared of strangers, Taiga told her to wait and after choosing a person he started to gather information.

    On the other hand, Shio who was waiting for Taiga was looking around.

    What entered her field of view were objects made with transparent ores and trees glowing in seven different colours, they were things that didn''t exist in the real world.

    But they weren''t the only thing that caught Shio''s attention. Even ordinary boulevards bustling with people and the noisy atmosphere were the first experience for her, who was always confined in the mansion.

    "There''s a lot of people here... I wonder if all cities are like that."

    From the middle of the main street, Shio continued to look at the city around her.

    With her pure white skin and revealing clothes Shio stood out. But she was carried away by the sight of the city and didn''t care about her surroundings.

    That''s why she didn''t notice people that started to stare at her, that was also why she wasn''t aware of people flocking to her.

    "Eh, what is it...¡ª¡ªah!!"

    Absorbed while looking forward at a huge tower in the distance, Shio took a step forward and collided with a man next to her who wore black clothes on his entire body. She fell on her butt and immediately tried to apologize¡ª¡ª

    "...to stand in my way, what a foolish little girl."

    Hearing the man''s words, her heart groaned.

    It was just an accident. It was just a little incident that should have ended with a single apology.

    But the man''s eyes, they looked down on her as if she was an insect, those pupils roused memories from depths of her heart.

    "Aaa...aa..."

    ¡ª¡ªWhy are you so incompetent.

    The words her father said to her while having the same look in his eyes, haunted her in the form of auditory hallucinations.

    "A bow from the initial equipment... hmph, a newbie. Weak small fries like you shouldn''t tempt fate and watch how you walk. You''re an eyesore."

    The man''s attitude was abnormally overbearing. He thought of himself as absolute.

    As she heard more of his offensive speech and attitude, the more her emotional scars opened.

    The surrounding people were just looking at it from a distance.

    "Hey, look that guy''s the A-rank..."

    "Yeah, it''s Tokuma... better not to get involved, let''s go."

    And with that, none dared to meddle between the two of them.

    The ranting man who was standing in front of terrified Shio clicked his tongue.

    "...tch. Hey, are you listening¡ª¡ª"

    "Yes, that''s enough."

    The man extended his hand towards Shio, and then Taiga grabbed his hand and entered separating them.

    "Who the fuck are you."

    "I''m with this girl. This is enough. You''re going too far, she only bumped into you."

    Taiga released his hand and crouched. He sandwiched Shio''s cheeks between his two hands as she repeated "I''m sorry, I''m sorry." with an empty look in her eyes and made an eye contact.

    "Shio, look over here. ¡ª¡ªShio!"

    "...O...Onii...-san...?"

    "Are you all right? Come on, stand up."

    As he gradually raised the volume of his voice, Shio''s eyes finally noticed Taiga. And as he attempted to take her hand to help her rise, the rude man reached towards her again.

    "Wait, that woman still has to¡ª¡ªghu?!"

    "¡ª¡ªCut it out you bastard."

    Taiga grabbed his hand again and squeezed it with enough force to crush his wrist.

    He cast him a glare, releasing his caged blood lust causing the man to unconsciously step backwards. And when the man noticed that fact, his expression turned furious.

    "You bastards... mere insects like you think you can stand against me!"

    The man shook off Taiga''s hand and put it on a sword he had by his waist. At the same time Taiga placed his hand on the nodachi. That''s when a man came out from the audience.

    "Leave it at that, Tokuma. If you pull out a sword in the city, even if you''re an A-rank I won''t remain silent. Babel is close too, should I call someone from the management?"

    "...tch!"

    After hearing those words, the man called Tokuma clicked his tongue and walked away after giving Taiga and Shio a dreadful glare.

    After Tokuma disappeared in the crowd, the man whispered to Taiga.

    "The two of you stand out too much. It''s better if you leave as soon as possible."

    "...looks like it."

    Wondering what happened, people started to gather around them. It didn''t seem like things would settle down like that.

    Taiga said his thanks to the man, took Shio''s hand and quickly left the spot.

    Part 4

    After walking through the main street for five minutes they entered a small passage, and finally caught a breath.

    "You should be able to calm down here, right...? Shio, are you all right?"

    "Y-yes... thank you, Onii-san."

    As Shio fixed her breathing, Taiga thought about the previous incident.

    The man from before, he was called Tokuma... an A-ranker, he''s also a qualification holder isn''t he. He had a seriously screwed-up personality.

    One of the strongest guys in the Aries, there was only a hundred of them among the players. A player that''s allowed to go on suppression missions against viruses¡ª¡ªthat''s a qualification holder.

    "His arrogance probably comes from that..."

    "? Onii-san, what do you mean by that?"

    "That Tokuma guy, he thinks he can bully weaker people just because he''s strong. Seriously, to think that''s the reason he acts so bossy. How ridiculous."

    A brute that immersed himself in the sense of superiority in his small world¡ª¡ªthere were people like that in Renjou as well. To think there were people like that in this game.

    "...isn''t that normal?"

    Suddenly, Shio muttered that.

    "Mm? What did you say?"

    "¡ª¡ªIsn''t it obvious that weak people are going to be treaded upon? At least for me, it reminded me of Hime-chan."

    Hidden in those words was a strong feeling contradicting her tone.

    What kind of past did she have to be able to say words like that. As if it was an absolute truth, Shio stared at Taiga with a cold look in her eyes.

    Taiga was at a loss, not knowing how to answer.

    Those words were definitely related to the problem between Shio and Fuyuki. That''s why he couldn''t find an appropriate answer. He fixed his breathing, and just when he attempted to answer Shio,

    That''s when a ringtone was emitted from his terminal. The callers name was¡ª¡ªKiritou Haya.

    "What now, at a time like this... Shio, go towards that big tower over there. I''ll catch up soon."

    "That spiral tower?"

    "Yeah. That''s where you can go through rank-up procedure. So go ahead and leave me for a moment."

    "Okay, I got it."

    With that said, Shio started walking towards the giant tower that was piercing the sky. He sent her off and didn''t try to hide his displeased look as he accepted the call.

    "Yes yes, Tenryo here¡ª¡ª"

    ¡´"You''re slow!! Pick it up faster!!"¡µ

    That moment, he thought his eardrums died.

    ¡´"When you see it''s a call from me you should answer immediately!! I don''t have time to spare¡ª¡ªTaiga, why are you blocking your ears?"¡µ

    "You ask...why...seriously Haya...don''t shout...with your volume...set at max..."

    What rushed into his ears was no longer a voice, it was bombardment made with sound. It was probably because it was set to maximum, but the sound exceeded even the Grim Reaper''s sonic attack and it still resounded in his bones, his visibility shook as well.

    "Ah¡ªshit... a sound this loud completely stunned me..."

    "...are you all right?"

    Taiga stood up while ignoring the sound still ringing in his head and looked at the window displaying the caller again.

    "So, what is it?"

    ¡´"Oh, yeah. Taiga, do you have any time to spare?"¡µ

    "No, there''s something I have to do¡ª¡ª"

    ¡´"You don''t have time? Then find some. Or rather, make some time for me right now."¡µ

    "Isn''t that kind of unreasonable?!"

    ¡´"I won''t accept a negative answer or complaints. I''ve stuff piled up and I don''t have enough time."¡µ

    Not enough time¡ª¡ªafter hearing those words he noticed big bear-like circles under Haya''s eyes that and that her complexion was worse than before.

    "Hey Haya. When was the last time you slept?"

    ¡´"A lot of work has piled up. I don''t have time to sleep."¡µ

    She worked both as the school''s student council president and as a researcher affiliated with the Kiritou Group. Just that was enough of hard work, but now Haya had more work forced on her. Indeed, she might not have time to sleep.

    "...make sure to secure some sleep time. At this rate you''ll pass out."

    ¡´"Thanks for your advice. I do have intentions of adjusting it. ¡ª¡ªActually there''s work I want you to do that involves Aries."¡µ

    "Is it fine if I do it?"

    ¡´"Even though I said it''s work, it''s just an investigation. I''ll send you details via mail so make sure to check it."¡µ

    "Wait wait. I didn''t say I''ll do it¡ª¡ª"

    ¡´"Ooh. If Taiga takes this off my shoulders, I''ll be able to take a break? But if a certain someone refuses, I''ll have to stay up all night again?"¡µ

    "Guh..."

    With a proud look on her face that was her specialty, she cut in the middle as Taiga spoke. He was the one who told her to secure some sleep time. If he refused here he would turn out to be a man who''s only good at talking.

    ¡´"Then, I leave it to you¡ª? "¡µ

    In the end she made a wicked smile right before the window disappeared.

    Taiga made a huge sigh. It''s been only two weeks since they met, but Haya''s insolence was getting worse.

    "What am I, an errand boy?"

    Originally, the one acting as her helper was the AI ?Iora. But it seemed like she was allowed to act freely ''to learn about society''. It was enviable, to be released from that tyrant.

    And, another sound came from the terminal. It should be the mail Haya spoke about earlier.

    "Umm... and the content is... what''s this?"

    The first word that he noticed after expanding the text was¡ª¡ª¡ª''Angel''.

    He didn''t want to read it, but since it was sent to him, he could no longer ignore it. He looked through it reluctantly.

    To summarize briefly contents of the job.

    For a week now, it seemed like a program of an unknown origin was circling around the structures Kiritou operated. It didn''t seem problematic in itself, but it seemed that this program disrupted the game system, it was viewed as a potential danger by Kiritou and they started an investigation.

    And the author of the program called himself ''Angel''.

    The work was to collect information on ''Angel''. The program was scattered all over the structures, and Taiga was in charge of ¡¶Aries¡·, or so it seemed.

    This work, it seems like something an underling would do...

    He didn''t know whether it was forced on her or she picked it by herself, but it seemed like she couldn''t be picky with her jobs.

    "...I''ll ask while I''m touring around with Shio. Even so, ¡ºAngel¡» eh. That''s just like the Grim Reaper, it seems like this world is full of stories like that."

    He murmured that happily, and started to walk towards the spiral.

    ¡ª¡ªA huge tower located in the middle of ¡¶Aries¡·, ¡¶The management tower¡· known as ¡¶Babel¡·. It was a facility players often use, the only place you can access the management from within structure. This was the place the rank-ups were performed and also the place where you could buy attack-configured programs, it was possible to perform various procedures inside.

    "Welcome to the management tower. How can I help you?"

    When Taiga stepped into the tower''s interior, one of the women standing at the entrance called out to him.

    She had green hair that nearly reached the ground and was very beautiful. There were ten women with cold smiles on their faces, no, to be exact there were ten bodies.

    AI...MR-7 was it?

    It seemed like that was how Fuyuki called them. Although it was a humanoid drone with mechanical body at that time. It could do both housework and office work, it was used for a variety of chores and matters such as reception, it seemed to be used in many areas.

    "A person should have been here a while ago. Her name was Shio, she probably wanted a rank-up."

    "Please wait a moment, the person in question was directed to the thirty-third practice field after finishing the procedure. If it pleases you, shall I guide you?"

    "Please."

    Taiga followed the AI that went ahead and began to climb the spiral staircase.

    There was free space on every floor, they were places the players used to chat. The further he went the amount of players increased.

    "What is up there?"

    "The Arena is located on the top floor. It''s a place where players can compete against each other under the variety of conditions, anyone can participate."

    "An arena... I''ll go and take a look after I collect some information."

    After a few minutes, he arrived in front of the door that was marked with number 33, the female AI bowed and left. Taiga opened the door and heard a noise of something cutting through the air coming from inside.

    He recognized the sound of an arrow.

    The released arrow hit the centre of the target located twenty metres away and exploded with a small popping sound.

    "You''ve improved a lot. It''s completely different from when you first entered."

    As he called out, Shio trembled for a moment and then slowly looked behind. It might have been because of the conversation before, but she had a dark expression.

    "...the performance augmentation was improved because I became a D-rank, that''s all. It''s not a real strength."

    "Not all of it is fake. Shio''s aim is improving right?"

    "...is...that so... Did Onii-san rank up as well? The condition is to break through that forest and come to the city, so did Onii-san also become a D-rank?"

    "No, I want to stay as I am for now."

    I would become weaker instead¡ª¡ªis what he refrained himself from saying.

    For Taiga who had an abnormal physical ability far beyond a normal person''s, the system that was augmenting players ability would bring the opposite effect. If his nerve connections were disconnecting after he got serious as an E rank, that meant there was no point in increasing it.

    "Then, we''re going outside already?"

    "About that, there''s a place I want to visit. Do you mind if we take a detour?"

    "Since you''ve been helping me out this entire time I don''t mind it at all. Ah, but it''ll be lunchtime soon."

    "Then we can take a break. Let''s meet here in an hour."

    Taiga opened the window to start the log-out process. What should I eat? as he thought of Master''s cuisine, he heard a faint voice.

    "...don''t you want to know about my and Hime-chan''s relationship?"

    A quiet, barely audible murmur.

    He knew Shio would eventually ask that question, Taiga answered quietly.

    "I''ve told you at the beginning right. I won''t ask you about it. It''s something between you and her, that''s something the two of you need to solve amongst each other... am I wrong?"

    "...there''s no need to solve anything... nothing at all."

    After saying that, Shio returned to the real world.

    "...looks like it won''t be easy."

    Taiga who was left behind sighed in secret, and followed her logging out as well.

    Translator''s Notes and References

    - 1.¡ü He says here "let''s challenge" in English.

 Volume 2, 3 - Resolution to Confront The Past

    Volume 2, Chapter 3 - Resolution to Confront The Past

    Part 1

    "Fuu..."

    Inside of a dim room from which light had already disappeared from, Shio slowly opened her eyes.

    Her mind was still agitated after she experienced an entertainment structure for the first time, smouldering heat was leaving her body and she took deep breaths repeatedly.

    Shio waved her arms lightly to clear her thinking. In conjunction with her movements the lights were turned on, at the same time the Arclight was turned off.

    "...I sweated a lot."

    Although that was in the Elysion, it was because she wasn''t used to moving that much. Her camisole was drenched with sweat, sticking to her skin, and her skin colour could be clearly seen through it. Although she wiped her entire body with the towel she prepared, she still felt discomfort.

    I''ll take a bath first, then have a lunch.

    She was alone in her broad room.

    There was an Arclight and a bed, it was a simple room with minimum furniture. That was the place she was living in.

    ¡ª¡ªOne corner of the four major cyber-related corporates, ''Karasuba''.

    Even if there were people who still didn''t know Kiritou''s name, there were no people who didn''t know the name of Karasuba. That''s how large of an enterprise it was. Karasuba Shio was the granddaughter of its company head and the second daughter of its current president.

    Unlike Fuyuki who was an adopted daughter using the Karasuba name, she was a daughter descending from a ''Noble Lineage''.

    Shio changed into appropriate clothes and draped a coat on her shoulders before she left the room.

    Karasuba owned grounds was the size of a small town and her room was inside of the head family''s manor.

    Through the window there were several visible buildings serving as research facilities and behind those buildings were huge headquarters towering over them.

    It wasn''t visible from where Shio was looking now, but on the other side there is the reception hall of the internal education facility ¡¶Bird Cage¡· and its various facilities that were dispersed.

    Partially because it was a holiday, but there were less people in the mansion than usual. Judging from the appearance, Shio was the only one from the head family in there, everyone else there was a servant.

    "My lady, Princess Shio is staying at home again... even her other siblings are all at laboratories researching..."

    "Master and mistress are going to scold her again..."

    Along the way, she heard the servants chatting. Shio shut her heart ignoring the negative chatter.

    Aren''t they getting bored of repeating the same thing every time...?

    Again and again and again and again, that talk continued on a daily basis, these words no longer hurt her but still, somewhere in her heart she felt worn out.

    Shio had an older brother, older sister, and a younger sister.

    The three siblings besides Shio were already acting as researchers and have attained remarkable achievements¡ª¡ªthey were being called ''Geniuses''.

    Children of Karasuba didn''t play like normal children would, they don''t attend school. To become people that stand above everyone else, they are subjected to special thorough education from a young age.

    They were trained in different subjects. But what was the most important among them was the cyber technology. The only thing that mattered was that they had to have excellent results, that was all.

    From a very young age they desperately polished their techniques at the expense of everything else.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªAnd despite all of that, Shio had no talent at all.

    It took her siblings only a week to learn what she had to study for three months. No matter how much effort she put in, she couldn''t even see her siblings'' backs.

    And then, the place ''Karasuba Shio'' belonged to slowly faded away.

    Shio entered the dressing room, quickly undressed and entered the absurdly huge bathroom.

    Her other family members settled on just using the shower, the only one who used the bath on a regular basis was Shio. It turned into a situation where the bathtub was exclusively hers.

    "Hafuu?...this is really calming?"

    She soaked in hot water from which white steam rose, and let out a voice.

    The warm water was not only pleasant. She also had a sense of freedom no one else knew, it was healing Shio''s heart.

    She relaxed her body releasing all her strength, and floated as the watery sounds filled the air.

    For just a moment Shio felt an unbearable weakness no one knew of. All the unpleasant feelings melted away in the hot water and her head became empty¡ª¡ªis how it should have been. That''s how it normally was.

    ...it turned out really weird.

    She thought about her first time in ¡¶Aries¡·, reminded of how she was travelling with the boy who claimed to be Fuyuki''s brother.

    Even now when she closed her eyes she was reminded of the feeling she had as she released an arrow from her bow, she recalled the sight of arrows flying straight and penetrating through monsters.

    It was supposed to be a way to kill time. She obtained a free pass by chance (or rather it was forced on her). She didn''t throw it away because it would be a waste, that''s all.

    But because of that whim, she was reunited with a friend from her past.

    I wonder if that was fate...

    Even though the hot water should have warmed her up, her heart was cold.

    She wanted to ignore all of these feelings, but she couldn''t get accustomed to pain that easily.

    The pain she felt in her heart seven years ago as her dreams and hopes were all shattered, it encroached her body slowly, like poison.

    Ever since then she didn''t expect anything, she wasn''t entertained by anything, she just lived her life while remaining idle. She thought her own life had no value, that''s how it was. However...

    ...it was fun.

    These few hours she spent today were really fun. It was very enjoyable, even though at some point it became as painful as it was when she was betrayed, she still wondered ''What is going to happen next?'' with high expectations.

    Just a little more, let''s continue for a while longer¡ª¡ªShio closed her eyes and entrusted her body to the hot water once again.

    Part 2

    After an hour passed since the break started, Taiga returned to ¡¶Aries¡·.

    ¡´"¡ª¡ªLog in."¡µ

    An inorganic voice announced, and he opened his eyes. What he saw was the interior of ¡¶Babel¡·''s thirty-third training grounds.

    He had a meal in Paradise which as usual, had no other customers. He washed away the sweat and his body was in perfect condition.

    Then, he heard the sound of an explosion nearby.

    He wondered just how long she had been going at it. Shio was shooting her arrows at the target which was located forty meters away while maintaining a light breathing. Even though there was compensation it was difficult, about 40% of her arrows hit the centre of it.

    Despite that, it seemed like she made a steady progress as compared to herself from before the break.

    Hey hey... then why did we have an hour long break to rest. There''s no point if she doesn''t rest is there.

    Not noticing that Taiga has logged in, Shio continued to shoot one arrow after another.

    She didn''t grow as an archer, it wasn''t like she grasped it intuitively. Her progress was from the very beginning until the very end a result of her efforts.

    Not knowing what to do, and only repeating the same thing over and over again. Standing in the middle of pitch black darkness and exploring everything with touch. A human who only knew how to do it that way, when it came to efficiency she was clumsy it looked as if her thinking circuits were removed.

    It''s impressive that she was able to improve and reach that level by doing such a thing.

    Taiga was shocked, but he didn''t hate that kind of thing.

    Not having a place for himself, having to be strong to finally get out of there. Without anyone to rely on, unable to ask anyone for guidance¡ª¡ªhis old self overlapped with her, Taiga couldn''t keep watching or leave her alone.

    "...Shio, put less strength in from your shoulders."

    "Ee...Onii-san?! I''m sorry, is it time already?"

    "It''s fine, just do it."

    He cut in the middle of her apology and prompted her to take the posture.

    Panicking Shio tried to pull the string with all her force, she was still stiff.

    "You''re putting too much strength considering the target is at that distance. Remember the first arrow you hit in the forest. That much strength is enough, what''s left is technique. Yes, breathe slowly."

    Just as she''d been told, Shio took a very deep breath while holding the arrow. Three times, four times she repeated that and the strength faded from her body.

    Taiga continued to instruct her.

    "Don''t narrow your eyes, like that you won''t be able to see the target too well if you burden your eyes too much, your concentration will decrease. Control yourself and your breathing. You must have rhythmic, shallow breathing. If your breath is too deep you will draw out too much strength, and if your breath is too shallow you won''t have enough oxygen and your thinking will be blurry. It might be difficult at first, but you should try to keep your breathing as natural as possible."

    Shio followed Taiga''s instructions and fixed both her breathing and vision.

    She only saw the contour of the target that was forty meters away, the dot in the very middle of it was practically invisible.

    Seeing Shio anxious like that, Taiga continued to speak.

    "You don''t need any more information about the target. You know roughly how big is it and what its shape is, it''s fine if you shoot at it and just adjust your aim accordingly. What''s important right now is to grasp the feeling. Like that you will be able to hit the place you aim at."

    "...yes."

    "Stop your breathing for a moment right before you release the arrow, it will stop your body from making small movements and help you to retain the aim. However, you can''t stop your breathing for too long, if you decide to shoot then go through with it immediately."

    Following the rhythm inside her head. Shio aimed her arrow straight. She stopped her breathing for a moment and immediately released the arrow!

    *clank*¡ª¡ªthe arrow cut through the air and pierced in a place right beside the dot in the centre. Shio unconsciously murmured "I''ve done it!!", and Taiga saw her happy smile.

    "Let''s continue. How about we see what will happen if you follow the rhythm?"

    "Yup!"

    Shio replied vigorously and readied another arrow.

    Taiga fixed the parts he felt were bad one by one and eventually when the number of arrows shot reached fifty she was able to hit nearly every arrow near the middle.

    Her body has a natural posture, rhythm, just as she was taught. She''s a good learner.

    It was the first time he taught someone who perfectly listened to his instructions like that.

    Any human would have some kind of habit that would surface to a certain degree, and that habit would upset what he taught them.

    But without tendencies of her own, she absorbed Taiga''s words like wool. At that pace she would improve in no time.

    "Shio, let''s stop here. We''ll continue with monsters as our opponents."

    "Uu... it''ll be harder than worms. I wonder If I can do it...?"

    "Hitting them isn''t that hard. Well, though to get a good aim you need to read an opponent''s movements."

    The basics don''t change, only an additional element is added.

    "...oh right. Onii-san, you said you had a place you wanted to go to?"

    "Yeah, I''ve been asked something troublesome of an acquaintance. It''s the arena on the top floor.

    ¡¶Aries'' Management Tower¡·, users call it by a name ''Babel''.

    Even with that said, the amount of people who were here to contact management or get a rank-up were at most a hundred. So what were all the other players doing here? Their aim was to visit the top floor of the Babel. On top of the giant rock floating in the sky above the tower was¡ª¡ªan ¡¶Arena¡·.

    "So this is the arena."

    "The atmosphere is amazing... also, it''s noisy."

    The moment they entered after speaking with the transfer staff on the top of the spiral staircase, Taiga and Shio were forcibly blown away to the amphitheatre. As two people appeared on the edges of the stage, a loud applause rumbled, it felt like an earthquake.

    The ¡¶Arena¡· reminded of the Colosseum from the middle ages. However it was inside of the Elysion, so it was not normal.

    Placed in the middle of the arena, as if having a leading role was a sparkling, mysterious crystal sphere. It was a projector that reflected several three-dimensional images from nothingness.

    Their number was five in total. They were broadcasting battles in real-time in five different locations for each one.

    "I might be no good with this..."

    "That''s true it might be hard for Shio since you''re very shy. But what''s with this amount of people. Do they have nothing better to do?"

    Responding to Taiga''s condescending tone Shio put on a wry smile.

    The audience that consisted of over five hundred people cheered and taunted as they pleased. Honestly, they were really noisy. It seemed like it was hard on Shio as she was in a state where her legs were unsteady.

    "I feel as if I was drunk...auu..."

    "Oops. Shio, are you alright?"

    He supported Shio''s body who almost collapsed onto her knees. At that time, he touched her shoulders that were strangely exposed by the hunter costume.

    Whoa... what''s this, her skin is too white...

    No extra flesh at all and spotless beautiful skin.

    So white it seemed like it would melt on touch, so brittle it seemed like it would spill on touch.

    After touching her, he saw her in a new light.

    "...Onii-san?"

    She looked up towards him with slightly red cheeks, it might have been because of the enthusiasm in this place. A drop of red in the middle of pure white, naturally it was her eyes that attracted him with their diabolical charm.

    "¡ª¡ª!! Come on, let''s look for a vacant seat, you can lean on me."

    "Yes... thank you, Onii-san."

    After unconsciously staring at her in admiration, he looked away in a hurry and started to look for a vacant seat Shio could rest on. With that said, since it was both daytime and a holiday it seemed to be a very busy time so there was no convenient seat they could use.

    As Taiga worried about what to do, that''s when a man approached.

    "Oh, isn''t it the two from before! What a coincidence!"

    "...?"

    A man two, three times older casually spoke to them, Taiga tilted his neck. Wondering, where did I see this guy before?

    "Hey hey, did you forget me already? Earlier today, on the main street¡ª¡ª"

    "...ah! The guy who came in to mediate!"

    When they had a dispute with the man called Tokuma, he didn''t just stand around and dived in. Because the only thing he was thinking about back then was to calm Shio, he didn''t look at his face.

    "That''s quite a fast reunion."

    "Hahaha, this might be destiny. Speaking of which, I still haven''t introduced myself. I''m Leon, nice to meet you."

    "Leon? A foreigner?"

    "Onii-san. It''s not a real name. It''s a secondary name used in Elysion. It''s a temporary name used to hide the real name. It''s probably the same for that Tokuma person."

    "...in other words, a pseudonym?"

    "Hey hey, from what age did you come from that you don''t know about the second name?"

    Leon was amazed. Unfortunately Taiga didn''t have any contact with the cyber world. Since neither Fuyuki nor Rui taught him about it, it was impossible for him to know.

    "It''s not like there''s a reason to hide it. I''m Taiga, nice to meet you."

    "Taiga, is it. By the way, that girl appears to be sick, is she alright?"

    "This atmosphere doesn''t serve her too well. I was trying to find a place for her to sit, but there''s none so I''m kinda troubled."

    "Then I know a good place. Not only you can sit down there, but it''s also quiet unlike this place. If you''re fine I can guide you?"

    Leon''s proposal was like a rescue boat. However, there was a single question.

    "...a place like that, where is it?"

    "Participants waiting room below. Normally, unrelated people can''t use it, but since the clan is not using it now you can stay there until the match ends. Do you know what a clan is?"

    "It''s an English word for family however... but it doesn''t seem to be the case here."

    "It''s not wrong if you think of it as a kind of group. It''s a party of four or more players. I''m the leader of a clan called ¡¶Lion Alliance¡·. Well, we''re a weak clan with only four members. Eh, I ended up talking about unnecessary things. Let me guide you to the waiting room."

    As he said that, Leon passed through the audience and headed towards the stairs installed near the outer wall. Taiga determined that having Shio get some rest was top priority, he placed his arms around Shio and picked her up before following Leon.

    "O-Onii-san! I can walk by myself!"

    "What are you saying, didn''t you fall down. Just a little longer so don''t make a fuss and bear with it. By the way Shio, you''re way too light, you should eat more meat."

    "Uu...stupid Onii-san..."

    Probably embarrassed, Shio''s face was dyed scarlet and she lowered her head. Taiga, surprised by how light her body was held in his arms, felt like dropping her would be unforgivable.

    They walked through a corridor located below the audience seats until Leon stopped his feet.

    "We''re here, this is our waiting room."

    Guided by Leon they arrived and entered a simple room.

    There was a projecting sphere just like the one in the field''s center and it was surrounded by chairs. Taiga helped Shio to sit down and bowed his head to Leon.

    "Sorry, you saved me."

    "Thank you, Leon-san."

    "Don''t mention it. ...but why did you come to the Arena? Let me tell you first, fights here are too hard for beginners alright?"

    "I didn''t come here to participate. I''ve been asked to investigate something by a tyrannical ojou-sama. I just thought I would find something in a place full of people."

    The fact that Kiritou was involved was the most he could say, he shouldn''t talk about his connections any more than that. Especially not in a place where people might have some information.

    "Is that so. By the way, what are you investigating?"

    "It''s about a guy called ¡ºAngel¡» who appeared recently."

    "Yeah. Something about bestowing whatever we wish for. Or something..."

    "You know something?"

    "Just from the rumours. I never saw him myself."

    "That''s fine. Just tell me."

    "Sure thing. First¡ª¡ªuh, wait a second. Leon speaking..."

    It seemed like he had a call, Leon started to talk after turning his back to the two.

    As the room became silent, Taiga glanced to check on Shio''s state. It seemed like she settled down quite a bit, her cheeks weren''t as red as before either.

    "You look better now."

    "Yup, it''s all thanks to Onii-san. What''s the ¡ºAngel¡» you mentioned before?"

    "A guy who''s said to have scattered around a strange program. I am supposed to investigate why he did that. ...that Haya, forcing people to work. She better rest properly."

    "...eh?"

    Hearing Taiga speak Shio tilted her head, she felt like she knew the name he just spoke.

    "Must be a different person, right?

    She got curious and asked honestly.

    "By Haya, do you mean Kiritou Haya-san?"

    "What, you know her? Oh right, you''re both children from the four major corporates. You must be acquainted."

    "We just exchanged greetings once at a party. Oh right. The one who''s given me a free pass and recommended ¡¶Aries¡· was Haya-san, she said her acquaintance uses it..."

    "That''s definitely about me. In other words, what? The reason Shio came to ¡¶Aries¡·, was because of me?"

    What a coincidence, no, it was inevitable.

    The fact that Taiga and Shio met in ¡¶Aries¡· might have been fate.

    "That''s really surprising... but a party eh. Seems like Shio participates in such a thing as well."

    "Nnn. It was the first time in a while since I participated in one. That''s because a drop-out like me is just a nuisance at home."

    For Karasuba she was only a disposable tool. Also, a tool of little value¡ª¡ªthat''s what Shio seriously thought.

    Ever since her parents said ''That girl only has good looks so let''s have her marry as fast as possible''¡ª¡ªshe learned just how much a person called Karasuba Shio was worth, she was now only a ''Tool for political marriage''.

    Taiga wanted to say ''be more confident'' but he swallowed those words. That wasn''t what he should be saying now.

    No matter what, that seems way too irresponsible...

    Because he didn''t know anything about her past.

    "HA?! W-wait a minute! You, don''t you know how important this day is?!"

    Then, Leon who was talking in the corner of the room suddenly raised his voice in panic. The atmosphere for the conversation disappeared, the two looked at each other.

    "You didn''t know... didn''t I fucking tell you that before?! The clan matches are for four people, if even one person is missing¡ª¡ªWait, I said wait, hey!?"

    It seemed like the caller suddenly disconnected, and Leon''s voice resounded throughout the room not reaching him.

    "Leon-san, what happened?"

    "Seems like it''s something troublesome... hey, Leon! What is it?"

    "...last minute cancellation."

    "Ha?"

    "Today''s match, we aren''t able to participate without four members and as it suddenly turns out one member can''t come... even though it was determined there will be a match a month ago."

    Seeing him fall into a slump like that, it seemed like he really looked forward to today''s game.

    "Can''t you ask someone else to stand in?"

    "¡¶Lion Alliance¡· is a clan that has only four members, we don''t have any substitutes. And there''s no time to look for one¡ª¡ª"

    That''s when Leon stopped talking, and his line of sight was cast towards Taiga.

    Taiga had a bad premonition, he wanted to take Shio and leave the room but¡ª¡ª

    "I beg you Taiga! Participate in the game instead!"

    "...it turned out like this after all."

    He was a bit too slow.

    "There''s no one else but you! Hey, I beg you!"

    "You''re the one who said it''ll be too hard for me. What are you doing, inviting me after saying that?"

    "Just this time we can overlook it! Anyone who can increase the head count is fine!"

    "Hey hey..."

    No matter what, that''s suiting himself too much.

    "Is it fine even if we lose?"

    "Since we''re participating we have no intention to lose! Rather than admit defeat without fighting, I''d rather participate with a handicap! Of course, I won''t tell you to do it for free. If you participate, then me and my acquaintances will collect information about ¡ºAngel¡»!"

    "...mm."

    Because of that condition, his resolve started to falter.

    For Taiga himself there was no profit from it, however there could be some for that scheming young lady. If he continued to collect information at this rate and took too much time, he would be showered by a barrage of insults.

    Moreover, Leon not only helped them in the morning, but Taiga was also indebted to him for lending a room for Shio to rest in. He would feel horrible if he were to decline.

    Also, it''s not like he didn''t have any interest in PvP.

    "...tell me more details."

    "You''ll participate?!"

    "For the time being, explain everything to me. If it''s too weird, I''m not going out there."

    Even if he was pulled in by Leon for numbers, he had no intention of pulling his punches. That''s why he wanted to know if he will be useful before agreeing to it.

    "If you want specifics... I can''t explain it to you because I don''t know them myself yet."

    "Hey hey..."

    Not knowing why he didn''t know the contents of the game despite being a participant, Taiga was shocked. But it seemed like Leon had a good reason for that.

    "Don''t jump to conclusions. It''s not just us. None of the participants know the content of the game until the start is signalled. That''s the real thrill of ¡¶UNKNOWN¡·."

    According to Leon''s explanation.

    Participants don''t know the rules until the very last moment. Rules are different every time, in some cases the rules upset them greatly¡ª¡ªit was held only once a month. Arena''s most popular event the ¡¶UNKNOWN¡·.

    "The registration will be over soon, and they will announce the rules for the first time. Also, there was a special rule that was changed from the old ¡ºRank Bonus Reversal¡» to ¡ºMovement Speed¡» whatever it means."

    "Fuun... and the number of participants?"

    "This time it''s ten groups of four people, so a total of forty. Victory conditions sometimes change, but usually its defeating all other groups besides your own. It''s really simple, I''ll take care of all last minute details."

    While saying that, Leon deployed a window and sent it over to Taiga.

    Among all that was written there, the thing that made Taiga curious was a sentence that stood out since it was written in red.

    "So what''s the prize for winning this?"

    "An update program for attack-configured programs. It seems to drastically power up a weapon. The rewards for participating now seem to be really great this time."

    "Hee..."

    With these words, Taiga glanced at Shio. She was resting while sitting on a chair and looking curiously at the projection sphere floating in the middle of the room.

    "Let me confirm one thing. Even if we lose you will help me to collect information right?"

    "I promise you that."

    "Then I''ll participate."

    "Yeah!! Then right now it''s most important to send the party application to other members! I''m going to explain the circumstances to the other members now!"

    After saying just that Leon turned into an incredibly hurried state, he immediately expanded a window in front of Taiga.

    ¡´"A party request has been filed by player Leon. Do you accept it?"¡µ

    Taiga tapped YES, his name was added to the Leon''s and the other two members names that appeared. Taiga seemed to have become a member of their party.

    "In that case Shio, can you wait for a while? I''ll end it in a flash and come back."

    "Y-yes. That''s fine but... Onii-san, are you really participating?"

    "It seems interesting. Is Shio against it?"

    "...beginners like us will be only tread upon by the strong people."

    Again. Those eyes again.

    Trusting in those words as if it was an absolute truth, eyes of someone whose heart was crushed. Not attempting to deny or struggle against it¡ª¡ªeyes of a human who lost all hope after confronting reality.

    "You won''t win anyway, so it''s better not to participate at all. The one who will be laughed at after losing won''t be Leon-san, but Onii-san right? ...no matter how hard you try, you can''t win against someone who has a starting line ahead of you right from the beginning. That''s what I think."

    For some reason, in Shio''s words Taiga heard a heartbreaking cry asking why does it have to be so.

    He couldn''t agree to it¡ª¡ªthat''s what he thought instinctively.

    "I won''t be able to win against higher-ranked people, eh. ...then if I win this match, that would prove that Shio''s thinking is wrong. Alright! I''ve got some motivation now!"

    "...I''m telling you it''s impossible."

    "In that case, let''s have a bet?"

    "A bet?"

    "Yeah. Shio will bet that I''m going to lose. I say it''ll be just the opposite. The loser is going to do one thing the winner requests of him¡ª¡ªhow''s that?"

    Although Shio looked up at Taiga to find his real intention, but she couldn''t read his thoughts that easily. She gave up after a moment and reluctantly agreed with a sigh.

    "Fine. I''m in. Since Onii-san will lose anyway."

    "Is that so. Then, just look at it from there."

    Leaving behind the girl who closed her mouth with her head down, Taiga left the place. He felt slightly guilty.

    I feel as if I''ve cheated her... but this time it couldn''t be helped.

    Taiga might have been an E-rank, but his strength was that of an A rank or higher. He worked together with Fuyuki and Rui at subjugating viruses after all. Other users should be no match for him.

    At the end of the corridor the waiting rooms were located at, was the standby room in which nearly forty players have already gathered. In one of the corners were the members of ¡¶Lion Alliance¡·.

    "Oh, you''re here Taiga. Are you prepared?"

    "Yeah. I found a reason to win as well."

    Although Leon casually spoke to him, the gazes of the other two were harsh. It looked like they weren''t convinced about Taiga''s participation. Since an E-ranker suddenly joined, it was an obvious response there was no choice but to show them results.

    "It looks like you''re fired up, but Taiga is an E-rank and has no chance, as long as the rules aren''t too weird you might be able to hide somewhere and survive until the end if you''re lucky."

    Leon started a meeting together with other members, Taiga clenched his fist and observed the opponents for the time being.

    As expected, it was different from reality. He couldn''t tell how strong they are just by looking. However, he could tell how familiar they are with fighting. It was just as people said, experience could be seen in its own way.

    "This seems like it''ll be harder than expected. ...hm?"

    Suddenly the participants groaned "Why are they...", after he heard that question he followed their line of sight¡ª¡ªthere, was a man dressed completely in black.

    "Ugh...!!"

    The moment Taiga moved his line of sight and turned towards it he found the reason other participants were so noisy.

    "Hmph, the sight of weaklings stretching their necks looks as annoying as always."

    With such an arrogant face and looking down on others, it wasn''t a face Taiga would ever forget.

    It was the A-rank guy they met during the day, his name was Tokuma or something, a qualification holder.

    "That guy is participating as well... it might turn out troublesome.

    He understood just from his atmosphere. He had a tyrannical attitude, but it seemed like he wasn''t incompetent. The three members who were together with Tokuma also seemed pretty tough, though not as much as he Tokuma himself.

    As Taiga observed Tokuma''s line of sight, unexpectedly the standby room''s door closed with a loud noise. At the same time, a green crystal appeared near the ceiling. A voice sounded from it.

    ¡´"Everyone, thank you for waiting for so long. Entries of forty participants confirmed, I''m happy to announce the rules of this¡¶UNKNOWN¡·. Ten seconds after the rules have been disclosed, you will be automatically transferred to the field."¡µ

    Together with the mechanical announcement, windows appeared in front of the participants.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª Rules of the ¡¶UNKNOWN¡· ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¢Ù Battlefield is ¡¶Sea of Trees¡·. Battle system is survival.

    ¢Ú Privately owned attack-configured program cannot be used. The only armament available is one scattered around the field. However, if a player takes down ten others alone, he will be granted access to use his privately owned attack-configured program.

    ¢Û Damage calculation depends on the rank. However the stats do not change.

    ¢Ü Damage dealt depends on the body part hit.

    "........................ha?"

    Seeing the contents written, Taiga freezed.

    It wasn''t that he didn''t understand the meaning. It was because he understood that his mind froze.

    W-what?! Are they rules specifically aimed at me?!

    There were several reasons Taiga who was an E rank could demonstrate the power of an A rank or even greater.

    First, was the attack-configured program he received from Rui ¡¶Heavenly Sword¡·. And another was his specs far beyond an ordinary person. With these two elements, Taiga had an offensive power far beyond his rank.

    ¡ª¡ªIn other words, with these characteristics of his sealed, Tenryo Taiga became a real, weak E-rank.

    "Ah¡ªshit, there are some weird rules this time. How are we supposed to defeat those A-rank guys with these conditions... Taiga, for the time being hide and try to survive. We''ll do something about Tokuma."

    Leon said something, but Taiga was too stunned after reading the rules and didn''t hear him at all.

    Soon after, the room was wrapped in blue light and the players were blown away to the battlefield.

    Part 3

    "Not started yet... even though it said that it''ll start soon..."

    As the participants were being transferred to the field, Shio was left alone in the waiting room and still looked at the projection sphere floating in the air. Impatient, she moved her feet up and down hitting the ground.

    Now that I think of it, I''ve never seen Onii-san fighting... he taught me how to use the bow, I wonder if he''s familiar with that kind of thing?

    She lost herself in thought as she waited, and then the projection sphere unexpectedly began to give off a faint glow. Several windows were deployed in the centre of the room, a forest full of huge trees was projected.

    ¡´"3 ?2?1¡ª¡ª¡ªMatch Start."¡µ

    When the countdown finished, players appeared throughout the sea of trees.

    T-that person... the one called Tokuma, was it... and there''s Leon-san over there...

    The players armed themselves and started to move one after another. It looked like despite being from one group, they scattered. She confirmed the positions of three ¡¶Lion Alliance¡· members, but she couldn''t find Taiga.

    "I wonder where is Onii-san... waawwa!"

    When she tried to get rid of a distracting window, suddenly another small window was expanded. She cautiously checked it, but it seemed like it was a roster of the game participants.

    Near the end of the list she found Taiga''s name, when she touched it a small piece of the window spread out¡ª¡ªwhat was displayed in front of Shio, was Taiga as he moved.

    "...why is he kneeling down?"

    Shio tilted her neck.

    Despite the fact the game has just began, Taiga''s figure was down on his knees, collapsed on the spot.

    ¡¶Sea of Trees¡·.

    Just as it''s name implied, it looked like a sea of trees towering overhead. Each of the giant trees'' branch was as thick as a train, and intertwined they created a three dimensional structure.

    And another characteristic standing out more than anything else, was a number of weapons stuck here and there.

    But even without looking at them, Taiga dropped down.

    Just how bad is my luck...

    When he wanted to win, suddenly he got hit by the worst rules¡ª¡ªamazed by his own horrible luck he tried to check the rules once again to make sure. But of course, there was no change in what was written there.

    When he moved his hand to his hip, there was no nodachi nor its sheath there.

    "...what should I do..."

    ¢Ù and ¢Ü were basic rules, he wasn''t particularly interested in those. The problems were rules ¢Ú and ¢Û.

    ¡ª¡ªPrivately owned attack-configured program cannot be used. The only armament available is one randomly arranged at the field¡ª¡ª

    The ¡¶Heavenly Sword¡· that became the cornerstone of his attack power could not be used because of this condition.

    When he looked around, he saw weapons stuck here and there. It seemed like he had to fight using those.

    Following was ¢Û, damage calculation depends on the rank.

    That meant his specs had no effect on his ability to damage his enemies, it meant that his rank was being converted into his attack power. Thus with his body ability a reverse correction was applied. These rules were the worst for Taiga who didn''t increase his rank.

    Stats do not change. That''s my only salvation...

    He tried to move his body lightly, but there was no change to his own physical ability. Like this, he could run away. It won''t be one-sided situation.

    No matter how he broods over it, it can''t be helped. With that said, Taiga proceeded to stand up and discerned the sounds around him.

    "Okay, there''s no one nearby. For the time being let''s join Leon and the others."

    He didn''t want to admit it, but it seemed like it was impossible for him to fight on his own now.

    Taiga pulled out a suitable sword that was stuck nearby and began to carefully go deeper into sea of trees where daylight didn''t reach. Since the risk of being found by enemies on the ground was high, so he decided on a route on top of the branches above.

    He walked and ascertained his prey.

    A blade length of about sixty centimetres and about four centimetres wide. It was a sword called ''Broadsword''.

    Honestly speaking, he couldn''t say he was familiar with this weapon. It''s length and weight was significantly different from the nodachi he usually used... or rather, it was a one handed sword that''s usually combined with a shield. There was no meaning in using it alone.

    Long sword, estoc, spear, axe... there was a lot.

    He confirmed various weapons just by walking for a while. But at just a glance he could tell they were all inferior mass produced ones. He didn''t know much about attack-configured programs, but they were obviously different from his ¡¶Heavenly Sword¡·. They were probably all initial equipment.

    Although he tried to find and change for a Japanese sword, since he couldn''t find it he decided to rush ahead. This ¡¶Sea of Trees¡· was broader than he imagined it, he walked for five minutes or more but couldn''t find any other player. Meanwhile he looked at the last rule, and the damage calculation in PvP.

    "Hmm... damage increases for hits above the neck. Normally it means instant death, but this is virtual reality."

    Besides that, it seemed like there was bonus damage for attacks from behind. It seemed also that if arms or legs are cut or crushed to a certain level they are disconnected. Another important thing, there was a set durability for attack-configured programs, if it reaches zero they break.

    Let''s check the damage for hitting an enemy above the neck first when I enter battle¡ª¡ªjust when he decided that, he heard footsteps in the front. Taiga erased his presence and moved up the trunk without making any sounds and waited patiently in a position above the enemy.

    Before long, Taiga saw the owner of the footsteps¡ª¡ªa man who picked up a halberd.

    Taiga held his breath and waited patiently for the man to pass beneath him. And the moment he saw his back, he ran down the trunk at top speed attacking his unprotected head from behind!

    Got him!

    Taiga who completely erased his presence closed the distance like a snake, and cut the unprotected neck with all the momentum.

    It was a perfect blow from an ambush that would blow his head off in the real world.

    Taiga slipped away and quickly checked the opponent''s HP. As expected, instead of being fatal, the damage should be displayed behind his head¡ª¡ª

    "...ha?"

    A light as small as the tip of his small finger appeared on the gauge decreasing it, and his hopes were crushed.

    Rather than a 1%, it was more like 0.1%. It was so small it wouldn''t be noticed unless you''re cautious, it was a really slight change. Not only Taiga, the one who was cutting, but also the person who was cut was taken aback by the amount of damage dealt.

    "Umm, was that an attack just now?"

    "Yeah, well... seems like it."

    What followed it, was this ridiculous exchange of words.

    The man tilted his neck while rubbing his carotid artery that was cut. Taiga also made a single step back with an unpleasant feeling, the halberd''s tip was lowered¡ª¡ª

    "...I don''t really get it, but let''s defeat you for the time being!"

    "So it turns out like that after all!"

    Taiga avoided the attack with the halberd and made a step forward before cutting the man''s body. But the blow had no bonus applied to it so the gauge barely decreased.

    Knowing that even if he''s struck there will be no damage, the man has thrown away all defence and continued to attack.Taiga showered him with slashes while parrying his attacks, but it was ineffective.

    "This is impossible! Just how many times do I have to cut dammit! The guy who thought of this rule better be prepared to hear a mountain of complaints!"

    "How about you concentrate instead of talking!"

    Taiga complained as the battle continued.

    As expected, as it went on not a single enemy attack went through either. No matter how good his defence was, if he dealt no damage there was no point.

    This can go on forever¡ª¡ªeh, what?!

    Just when Taiga honestly though about escaping, he sprung back after sensing the presence of someone else.

    "¡ª¡ªOOORAAAAAaaAaaaaa."

    A black shadow assaulted his enemy with a large sword and sent him flying with sheer force. The man who was blown away rotated in the air once and somehow managed to rebuilt his posture as he fell to the ground and readied himself again.

    "Yoo, you alright Taiga?"

    "Leon?!"

    The one who entered the fight between the two of them was the leader of ¡¶Lion Alliance¡· - Leon. Holding a huge two handed sword in one hand, he laughed in front of the enemy.

    "Hee¡ª I saw it. You''re doing really well! Are you really a novice?"

    "For the time being. It''s been only two weeks since I started. Rather than that, you''ve saved me. Sankyu."

    "What, it''s fine. ¡ª¡ªI''ll take it from here. Stand back."

    If he fought as he was now, he had no chances of winning. Knowing that, Taiga obediently stood back.

    Leon thrust his large sword into ground, rotated his shoulders and vigorously hit his fists in front of his chest. *pam* sounded with a nice feel, and his playful expression disappeared.

    "Now... let''s start this."

    Leon vigorously pulled out the large sword, and a ferocious smile reminiscent of a lion appeared on his face.

    The man instinctively sensed Leon''s intensity, and unlike he was earlier, he took a proper stance as he confronted him.

    The halberd was the first one to move, it was a simple therefore fastest attack on Leon''s head.

    It seemed like normally he was using a similarly shaped weapon, also in Taiga''s eyes he was quite good too.

    ...it''s Leon''s win.

    But, his opponent was the worst.

    Leon dodged the fast attack of the halberd, his prey was no match for him. He twisted his entire body and pounded him with the large sword he held in both of his hands.

    "¡ª¡ªDDARAAAAaaaaa!!

    The man set up the halberd to defend instantly, but it was pointless resistance.

    With a terrifying momentum the halberd was cleaved in two and continued to cut the man''s body, his gauge indicating HP dropped down to 0 all at once. The man began to disappear and turned into particles of light without having time to even raise a voice.

    "Splendid. It was a good strike."

    Taiga applauded Leon who fought in his stead.

    Both his offence and defence were impressive. Even though he thought so ever since he saw him in Arena, but to think he was this good.

    "I won''t lose to a guy like this. ...also Taiga, I told you to hide right? Rules this time state that rank is directly linked to abilities. It seems like you''re pretty good, but being an E-rank you stand no chance."

    "Looks like it... are you alone?"

    "No, I''m together with comrades. We''re going to run a plan after partnering up with another group, you coming with us Taiga?"

    "A plan?"

    "You saw it as well right? It''s a plan to beat that despicable Tokuma."

    Leon started walking and prompted him to come as well with his head. Taiga hurried and stood alongside him, and asked about the mentioned plan.

    "Partnering with another group, what do you mean?"

    "The matches in Arena are made for normal players, people who are A-rank or higher holding qualification don''t try to participate. That''s because boss battles are more exciting than arena. But even though it''s rare, there are some cases when qualification holders participate in the matches for the reward."

    Taiga was in fact a qualification holder (or rather his comrade was one), but he thought it''s better to remain silent.

    "It''s the same for those guys. Tokuma is the leader of a clan that consists of A-ranks only. He brought those members of his. He''s probably aiming for the prize. Between A-rank and B-rank there''s a huge difference in compensation. We can''t win this with a group of four A-ranks with rules like these."

    "So that''s why you teamed up with other groups, in that case, your numbers?"

    "Five groups including ¡¶Lion Alliance¡·, that''s twenty people."

    "So it''s half of the total participants. Considering just numbers, you vastly outnumber four opponents."

    "Don''t talk nonsense. In fact we had ten more people, but everyone else was taken down by Tokuma and his group. That''s why we better hurry, otherwise we''re fucked. If he takes down ten players by himself and gains access to his own attack-configured program it''ll get out of hand."

    Maybe that guy from before was a survivor from that. If that was the case, then they should have recruited him instead¡ª¡ªthought Taiga, but it was too late now.

    Also, just how much were the A-rankers hated, to make twenty people gang up to beat them.

    "I decided to look for you before the operation starts. ...so, let''s hurry. According to schedule it should be starting soo¡ª¡ª"

    That moment, they heard sounds of metal crossing each other a short distance away.

    Leon and Taiga looked at each other, and started to run at the same time.

    "Taiga you hide! It''ll be troubling if you go out in front and die!"

    "I can protect my body at the very least!"

    "That so! Then do as you want!"

    They ran through the forest and jumped from a trunk arriving at the place the sounds came from.

    It was the centre of the forest, it was a big space among the huge trees that conspicuously stood out. The plan seemed to have begun, players deployed and surrounded the group of four that included Tokuma and attacked one after another.

    "Don''t try the impossible you trash...!! Don''t bother me!!"

    Tokuma growled with his usual arrogant attitude, his stamina was already down to half. Other members were already at 30% as well. It was obvious at a single glance they were being pressed.

    The attacking players repeatedly disengaged after dealing blows as not to suffer from a counterattack, they were gradually shaving off the stamina of the four in the middle. It was a sight that embodied the term ''ganging up''.

    "Ah¡ªshit. Seems like I missed everything... isn''t it nearly over already."

    It was just as Leon said, the battle was already over.

    Although they could easily get out from that kind of siege by pressing on one point of it, but it seemed like they lacked the ability to be calm while being pressed to the wall by the underdogs. Unless something unusual occurs, the alliance won''t lose here.

    The players who formed the siege also thought so, and their movements turned visibly slower.

    That stimulated Tokuma''s small pride. Going easy on him. The great Tokuma, small fries like them¡ª¡ªanger boiled within him from the bottom of his stomach.

    And as the offensive relaxed, he noticed something he overlooked.

    What he saw, was the boy who underestimated and angered him during the day, and the man who interfered with his revenge. They stood behind as if overlooking their plan at work and in their eyes sympathy could be seen. That was the last blow to him.

    Tokuma gripped his sword with all his might¡ª¡ªand cut the comrade who was next to him.

    "Wha¡ª¡ª...!!"

    As everyone stood surprised by the fact he suddenly went mad, Tokuma cut down the others. Their stamina that was already at 30% went to zero with a single blow and the three turned into particles of light and disappeared.

    "...is he insane?"

    Someone murmured.

    No matter how much they were cornered, why would someone attack his comrades. He definitely was crazy¡ª¡ª

    ¡´"¡ª¡ªDefeating ten players alone confirmed. Privately owned attack-configured program has been released."¡µ

    What answered them, was the announcement they heard coming from the sky.

    Rule ¢Ú¡ª¡ª¡ºPrivately owned attack-configured program cannot be used. The only armament available is one randomly arranged at the field. However, if a player takes down ten opponents alone, he will be granted access to use his privately owned attack-configured program.¡»¡ª¡ª There, was no mention indicating it has to be an enemy.

    "This is bad... everyone run away!"

    Sensing the danger Leon cried out, the other players still didn''t understand the situation and didn''t move. Even so, some of them panicked and tried to escape, Tokuma grasped the handle with a brutal smile and pulled it out all at once.

    "Now, begin the execution ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡·!!!!!!"

    Together with his shout, steel howled.

    A jet black long sword has been pulled out. It''s blade was ominously large and extended with a *gichichichi* sound. It''s total length was about twenty metres.

    "Disappear!!!!"

    Tokuma rotated his body once, and the sword swiped like a wave.

    A slash completely ignoring a normal sword''s reach, the slash cut apart the players who surrounded him. Every weapon that was raised and on guard was cut through and the players disappeared with a single blow.

    "Whip sword...!! He has something like that as his attack-configured program!"

    Also called a snake sword, a fictional weapon. As its name implied, it was a whip capable of cutting the opponent.

    It''s main blade splits up into many smaller blades usually connected by a wire.

    It has both the form of a sword and a whip, it''s an armament combining both close range and medium-range. In recent years thanks to technology advancement it was no longer a fictional weapon. Still, twenty meters length was non-standard.

    "Hyahahahahaaa!! Thought I''ll let ya escapee!!?"

    Players finally started to run away, but the sword''s blade continued to cut them one after another as if it had its own will. It was no longer a fight, it turned into a simple execution.

    In only ten seconds. The offensive that numbered twenty people was wiped out leaving only Leon and Taiga.

    "...hey hey, seriously?"

    The overwhelming difference in strength reached the level of absurd.

    *pakin*, Leon unconsciously stepped back and broke a branch with his foot.

    It was too late to say ''what are you doing'', the glare was turned towards them.

    ""¡ª¡ª¡ª!!""

    Taiga jumped at full power avoiding by hair''s breadth but Leon was slightly too slow to make an evasive maneuver.

    "Guaa!?"

    Leon was blown away after the whip sword hit his legs, it''s power was increased by centrifugal force.

    His HP dropped drastically, there was just 5% remaining. Moreover, the attack didn''t end with that. As the ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡·1 means as the name implied, the blade whip flowed and wound around Leon''s body.

    "You''re first!!!"

    The whip sword bent according to Tokuma''s arm movement, gaining momentum and slamming Leon into a big tree. *bang*, with a dull sound as if an iron ball hit the tree, Leon lost his remaining HP, turned into particles of light and faded away.

    "Leon!! Damn, no good!"

    "It''s your turn you damn insecttttttttttttttttt!!!"

    Although Taiga jumped up and landed on a trunk, the sword''s tip immediately came flying after him.

    The sword''s tip pierced the location Taiga was just at a moment earlier and broke the trunk that was as thick as a train.

    "Uwoooooouahh!?"

    After losing his footing Taiga lost his balance as well, and ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡· approached him.

    He reflexively guarded with the one-handed sword and somehow deflected it. However the fragile weapon shattered and scattered and Taiga was blown away flashily.

    "Guhh?! Kahaa¡ª¡ª"

    His back slammed into a tree trunk and he lost his breath for a moment. Using that opening, ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡· approached him mowing down horizontally.

    "¡ª¡ªTsuaaa!"

    That moment he used all his strength to hit the trunk, thanks to the rebound made by that he was able to avoid the slash.

    Taiga fell down in accordance to the laws of gravity and quickly distanced himself disappearing from Tokuma''s field of vision.

    "Haa...haa...did I manage to lose him...?"

    "Where are you hiding!! You''re a mere bug so don''t bring me any more trouble!!"

    Taiga hid himself and fixed his breathing, he glanced through the gap between the trunks. It seems like the furious Tokuma completely lost sight of him and continuously destroyed the trunks with his whip sword.

    "I somehow managed to dodge it... looks like my attacks being ineffective is a problem. Moreover, the weapons break after receiving a single blow."

    Taiga still had 80% health, but even if he had full health one hit was enough to end him. Also, that whip sword spelled trouble.

    Originally it was a weapon that had trouble in complicated terrain like labyrinths. But ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡· moved like a snake and avoided obstacles freely. It turned out that it could hit him in blind spots like behind trees.

    He couldn''t keep on hiding forever, for some reason... he thought the same thing Shio said, ¡ºIt''s impossible after all¡». Geez, even though he intended to win, now it was being ruined by strange rules.

    His chances for winning were nearly zero, besides, there was no need to win this match.

    However, those eyes, it''s hopeless, impossible. Eyes of someone who gave up, they were bothering him so it couldn''t be helped.

    Why she started to think like that didn''t matter, it had nothing to do with it.

    However, not being able to admit it¡ª¡ªgive her a reason to deny that, that much was enough.

    "...I''ll show her."

    Give hope to that twisted girl.

    He closed his eyes and exhaled. When he opened his eyes again, he resented himself for thinking like a coward and squinted sharply.

    The battle from earlier was replayed in his head, and he memorized Tokuma''s habits and combat style, as well as ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡·''s movements and the positions of the weapons scattered around¡ª¡ªhe packed all this information and devised the best tactics.

    "Now¡ª¡ªLet''s start the counter-attack."

    Taiga pulled out the rapier that was stuck near him, and jumped out from where he was hidden.

    He ran as fast as the wind and closed the distance between himself and Tokuma in an instant. However, the enemy was an A-rank, a qualification holder. He wasn''t sweet enough to allow him to get in point-blank range that easily.

    "Ha, you finally came out!"

    Just as he said that the whip sword attacked Taiga from the right side.

    To avoid it, using his rapier Taiga dodged by stooping down, and after barely avoiding the sword which flew above him, he hit off the ground and accelerated all at once!

    "Wha¡ª¡ª¡ª!?"

    "You''re mine!!"

    He ran straight like lightning, thrusting at Tokuma''s throat. The speed was faster than expected, but Tokuma stood upright and just looked at the strike¡ª¡ªand his mouth distorted suspiciously.

    Instantly Taiga leaped to the side. Right next to him, nearly grazing his cheeks passed ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡· that jumped out of a trunk and slashed from above leaving a bruise in the ground.

    "Tch¡ª¡ª¡ªthat''s a really nasty weapon!!"

    Taiga cursed and made some distance. However, he was able to confirm it.

    His acceleration earlier was out of Tokuma''s expectations. It seemed like his sword was able to pinpoint Taiga''s location, ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡·''s special ability was tracking the enemy.

    The tip of the sword changed trajectory in the air and aimed at Taiga again. With a single blow it destroyed his footing, although Taiga jumped with all his strength towards another trunk, the whip sword approached him from behind.

    "ZU....RRAAAAA!!!!"

    He couldn''t avoid it while being in mid-air, so Taiga deflected it to the side with the rapier. The whip sword''s trajectory was forcefully changed and it destroyed a trunk nearby.

    The angle at which he received the slash, timing, adjusting to the power at which it came at its prey¡ª¡ªnot a single one of those could fail, they were godly feats. But the fragile weapons still broke. He pulled out an axe that was stuck nearby and faced Tokuma again.

    Now was the moment of truth. If he''s able to lure him to that place without being noticed¡ª¡ªthe game will be determined.

    "All he''s been doing up until now was running away! Fight him fair and square!"

    "It''s boring!"

    The alliance formation started by ¡¶Lion Alliance¡· that focused on the A-ranks, and the reversal of the situation that was one step away from succeeding¡ª¡ªwith this development that made their hands sweat, the storm resolving inside of Arena swelled and approached the climax.

    However, at the moment the audience complained seeing the boy continue to run away.

    It was obvious. No matter how excited they were, after looking at the same scene for five minutes anyone would get tired of it.

    "...that''s why I told you, there''s no way you can win."

    Ever since the game started Shio continued to look at Taiga.

    That''s why she knew that his attacks are ineffective, and she saw that he was saved and somebody else fought instead of him.

    The only participants left were Taiga and Tokuma. The one who wins this duel wins the match.

    However the difference between the strength of Taiga who was an E-rank and Tokuma who was an A-rank and was able to use his own attack-configured program was too huge.

    The boy on the screen just continued to escape by climbing on top of the huge trees.

    "The difference between their powers is absolute. There is no way to win against someone who starts on a different start line."

    Shio repeated her own words, speaking to herself.

    She was reminded of her own scattered feelings. No matter how much effort you put in, you can''t beat talent.

    That''s why¡ª¡ª¡ªeven if she said ''Wrong''. Or even if she had expectations ''If it''s him, then maybe...'', she still blamed it all on her own weakness.

    The audience''s jeering became more intense.

    Parrying ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡· while continuously changing weapons must''ve been incredibly difficult¡ª¡ªfor them, such a thing didn''t matter.

    "Uuu...aa... uguu..."

    Shio hugged her body as if she was in pain.

    She knew she couldn''t say it to herself. But hearing booing at someone''s desperate, hard work. His tremendous effort not even being noticed, it was just like herself who was being repeatedly insulted every single day by her father.

    After meeting eyes like his, she felt it''s better to give up right from the beginning¡ª¡ªthat''s what she was reminded of.

    "......¡ª¡ªest......"

    She should have understood. In front of an absolute element2, something as unstable and brittle like effort had no meaning.

    "......¡ªour best......"

    She was never praised, not even once. She was always compared to her talented older brother or younger sister, she was one-sidedly labelled as a disappointment, ''Why are you so incompetent!'' or so she was continuously blamed.

    Even such a girl, no, because she was a girl like that¡ª¡ª

    "...do your best! Onii-san!!"

    She wanted effort to be awarded, more than anyone else.

    While Shio cheered, Taiga was finally cornered on top of the huge tree in the centre.

    The game was approaching its final stage.

    "Fuu... this is pretty high..."

    Taiga ran away from ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡· and continued to climb the central tree, finally reaching the top. The ground was far away, he judged with his eyes that it was about a hundred metres above the ground. An ordinary person''s leg would freeze and he would become unable to move after climbing this high, but Taiga was completely calm.

    It should be fine from here right? Though the prey seems a bit uneasy.

    In his hand he had a tanto. There were no more weapons in this place, there was no choice but to make do with this one.

    "¡ª¡ªHmph. I finally got you cornered. You annoy me way too much for a mere bug."

    In the background there was the sound of an explosion.

    The last footing was destroyed by the twenty metres long whip sword ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡· and Tokuma entered, climbing to the top.

    "I remember your face bastard. A mere small fry who dares to look at me with that impertinent look in his eyes..."

    "I''m indebted to you for taking care of me back then. Although I wanted to say thanks, but instead I''ll crush you with my full strength. Amateur."

    *twitch*, Tokuma''s movements stopped.

    "You said... amateur?"

    "Ah, sorry. A mistaken bastard like you who pretends to be a king in a small world by brandishing fake power isn''t even worth being called an amateur."

    After Taiga said that, a number of blue veins appeared on Tokuma''s head. In response to its owner''s anger ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡·''s tip rose up¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "Enough of this... die."

    Together with that declaration, the sword''s tip shot out like a bullet.

    Starting with top speed from the very first step, Taiga rushed at Tokuma thrusting at him.

    "Ha, trying the same thing a second time, foolish!"

    In response to Tokuma''s arm movement, the whip sword changed trajectory.

    Swung down from above, then assaulted from below. It gained speed thanks to the centrifugal force¡ª¡ªcontinuously striking one after another a matchless barrage of attacks, Taiga continued to dodge them all by a hair''s breadth.

    And it wasn''t just the tip of the sword. Because the blade was incredibly long it spread out like a wire trap and inhibited movement in this place. However, it didn''t hit him.

    "You''re the one who''s foolish. Even a monkey can repeat the same thing over and over."

    No matter how complex the motion was , Tenryou Taiga could perfectly track it.

    In the first place, the whip sword exhibited its full prowess with a combination of both the whip and sword form.

    Tokuma mistook himself as absolute and continued to use the same attacks over and over, he was just third-rate.

    "Ghhu...?! You third rate weaklinggg!!!"

    Blood rose up to his head, and the whip sword Tokuma was wielding turned into a mess.

    In the first place that weapon was hard to wield, it couldn''t be manipulated properly by someone who lost his composure, the automatic tracking caused the blade to hit itself and change trajectory.

    Not missing that fatal chance, Taiga accelerated.

    Even if he attacked with the tanto there would be no damage. Taiga closed the gap between them in one step and grabbed the arm that held the handle of ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡· and slammed the back of the gauntlet towards the ground.

    Taiga moved at a godspeed his opponent couldn''t even register, immediately after Tokuma fell over.

    There was no damage but the impact hit his entire body, ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡· separated from Tokuma''s right hand.

    Taiga twisted his entire body and with his full strength he hurled Tokuma into the air where there was no footing. He also jumped aiming above.

    "Y-you bastard...!! What are you intending!!"

    "Can''t you see? I''m going to drop you. Since you destroyed all the footing you''re going straight to the very bottom."

    He clenched his left hand and swung with all his might.

    When Leon was defeated he confirmed that there was damage upon the impact. When Taiga himself was flicked by ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡· there was damage when he hit the truck.

    With a fall from the sky a hundred metres above. Maybe he could survive if fully recovered, but thanks to the encircling operation his HP was cut down to nearly 30%.

    It can''t be this guy... did he lead me around to destroy all the trunks on purpose!?

    There was a possibility that his fall might''ve ended on one of the trunks if they remained. That''s why he eliminated all the unnecessary risk by deflecting away ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡· towards the trunks which served as scaffolds.

    It all went as Taiga intended it. From the very moment he lured him in here, the game was already on.

    "A hundred metres to the surface¡ª¡ª"

    "W-wai¡ª¡ª?!"

    "Enjoy your trip without breaks bastard!!!!!"

    With a fist like an artillery shell, he hit Takuma right in the middle of his face.

    Hit by a blow with the strength of a car, Tokuma continued to fall at a tremendous speed. On the other hand, Taiga began to fall but pierced through the tree''s trunk with the tanto and started to dangle.

    "Ah¡ªI''m tired. Not doing this ever again."

    Immediately after he sighed and said that, from the bottom came the sound of a heavy crash.

    ¡´"¡ª¡ª¡ªOnly one virtual body reaction detected in the area. Match is over, all virtual bodies are going to be immediately deported to the Arena¡ª¡ª¡ª"¡µ

    Waiting for Taiga to return to the coliseum were waves of an excited audience.

    After all, he overcame the overwhelming difference in power with a brilliant reversal play. Tokuma who took down his comrades by his own hand was branded a villain, ear-breaking cheers welcomed Taiga. Among the audience, there were people who said "I was wrong to call out such a thing." and apologized, Taiga didn''t know what that was about and just tilted his neck.

    He received the winning prize which was an update program for attack-configured programs and rushed to the waiting room Shio was in.

    ".................."

    Shio was sitting on a chair and stared at the projection sphere that no longer displayed anything.

    "Hey Shio-san, any words of praise for someone who did his best and won?"

    "Wawawa. O-Onii-san since when did you?!"

    As Taiga reluctantly called out, Shio looked behind with a startled expression. For some reason her breath was rough, her cheeks were red and she had tears in her eyes.

    "...Shio?"

    "Oh, I''m sorry. Umm, I just got too excited."

    Shio tried to deceive him and rubbed her eyes in a hurry. Feeling it''s better not to ask for the reason of that, Taiga sat next to her in silence.

    "...the bet, it''s my win."

    "...yes. It''s Onii-san''s win, and it''s my loss."

    Somehow, she had a very refreshing smile on her face. Shio looked at the projection sphere that displayed the fight just a moment ago.

    "Onii-san is really amazing. Winning against such a strong opponent."

    "That''s because I took him off guard. As expected, if I fought him from the front I would''ve lost."

    "It might have been so... nevertheless, you perfectly proved your words to be true. You reversed the situation when in an overwhelming disadvantage."

    Her heart that decided right from the beginning that it''s impossible, her weak self that already gave up, he denied it all head on. Taiga didn''t know just how big a hope he has given her.

    "...hey, Onii-san."

    "What is it?"

    "If talent is not absolute... then why did I confine myself in a husk for seven years?"

    She learned of talent, and ran away after finding an area she couldn''t reach.

    She was scared that she won''t have any results, afraid that she won''t be acknowledged by anyone, of being responsible for her own life, she lived while blaming everything on her friend.

    Believing that neither despair nor effort brings any results, she just single-mindedly lived an empty life.

    However... if all of her assumptions were wrong right from the beginning, there was no point in running away.

    "Plunging myself into despair, arbitrarily giving up on every single thing, was it meaningless?"

    "...who knows."

    Hearing Shio''s heartbreaking cries, Taiga continued.

    They were neither words of encouragement nor comfort, they were incredibly realistic words.

    "I don''t know what happened in Shio''s past. That''s why I don''t know what would have changed if you didn''t give up. That''s how the reality is. Looking back at the past has no meaning."

    He said these words to himself as well.

    Always reminded of the past where he survived while leaving his parents to die, ''If only I was stronger back then'', he continued to regret. Forgetting it all, discarding it all, it would really put him at ease. If he was able to do it, he wouldn''t be having such a hard time.

    But, just that¡ª¡ªhe didn''t want to accept such a way of living.

    Forgetting his sins, throwing away the fact that his parents died, it would make their deaths meaningless. He wouldn''t be able to attain anything from their deaths, it would just be a tragedy. There would be no salvation anywhere.

    There must be a meaning in the fact that Tenryo Taiga survived. Thinking like that allowed him to put in a desperate effort into finding it.

    "In the end, finding what Shio wants to do, is your own problem."

    "What I want to do..."

    Taiga cut off there and didn''t say anything else. He told Shio his own feelings and waited patiently.

    He conveyed to her what he wanted to convey. From this point, it was all up to her.

    And slightly hesitating, she opened mouth slowly.

    "...I, I was always jealous of Hime-chan''s talent, and that''s how I lost my only friend... that''s why, I stopped struggling. I blamed it all on talent and wanted to run away. ¡ª¡ª......is that, no good?"

    "No, isn''t it fine? Looking forward instead."

    He wondered about it ever since he first met her, eyes that gave up on everything¡ª¡ªthey were no longer there. Taiga immersed himself in an indescribable sense of accomplishment, and vigorously stood up.

    "¡ª¡ªAlright! Let''s continue our journey! I somehow progressed with Haya''s request, and also obtained something good."

    "Something good? Ah, you mean the program that was the prize for winning?"

    "Indeed. And... here you go."

    He materialized a bright orange crystal on the palm of his hand and tossed it towards Shio. Although Shio only reached out to catch it, the crystal smoothly melted like a candy exposed to heat and was sucked into her body.

    "Good, the update is complete. It was a good thing I asked Leon how to use it."

    "Eh, Onii-san?!"

    The prize he received for winning wasn''t an attack-configured program, but a program used to strengthen attack-configured programs. Of course, it was possible to use it to enhance his own program as well.

    "W-why? Isn''t this what Onii-san has won?"

    "My own ¡¶Heavenly Sword¡· is plenty strong already. It will be more useful, in various ways if Shio has it."

    "B-but¡ª¡ª"

    "Stop. Did you forget the condition for the bet?"

    The loser is going to listen to one request of the winner¡ª¡ªhe took no refusals.

    "Rather than that, let''s go to the field quickly and try it! According to what Leon said, it''s a power-up that boosts the program beyond the level of A-rank, I look forward to seeing it."

    "A-awawawa...Onii-san, I can walk on my own so don''t pull me?!"

    Pulled with her hand by Taiga, Shio jumped out of the waiting room. While looking at the boy who showed her that she had her own potential, Shio thought.

    ¡ª¡ªI''m really happy to continue this journey.

    Part 4

    ¡ª¡ªWhere there was light, there was also darkness.

    As the winner bathed in the light, the loser hid himself in the darkness.

    "Shitt... those damn insectss..."

    In the corner of a back alley, not exposed to the light, a man walked while cursing endlessly.

    He continued to swing the black sword ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡· that was usually attached to his waist messily, countless slashes were engraved on the walls and the ground around him.

    He should have won.

    There were favourable conditions for him, who was already an A rank. On top of that, he used ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡·. There was not a single element that would make him lose. There was an overwhelming difference between their strength.

    ¡ª¡ªAnd yet he lost.

    It was a perfect defeat where he couldn''t even make an excuse. A stigma of defeat he obtained after he sacrificed three of his clan members. As a bonus, his opponent was an E-rank to boot.

    Tokuma lost his comrades, the pride of someone strong, and his position. The only thing left there was the hatred towards the one who defeated him.

    "I''ll cut your body up. Those annoying eyes, I''ll engrave the taste of defeat inside of them!!!!"

    For that purpose he needed strength. He needed to become more powerful than he is now, so overwhelming that none can reach him.

    Seeking absolute power, his heart was going mad with thirst for it.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ªHmph. Do you want power?"

    That''s when. In an alley no one should be in.

    "...who?"

    Tokuma pulled out ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡· and pointed it in the direction he heard the voice from.

    There, was a strangely dressed woman.

    She was wearing a pure white cloak that completely obscured her head, her face aside he couldn''t even discern her physique. He speculated she was a woman based on her voice. But it might have been a man with a woman-like voice.

    "I''m not anyone suspicious. That''s right, if I were to name myself it would be¡ª¡ªAngel, maybe?"

    "...Angel you say? Ha, I''ve heard the rumours. A shady user that''s said to fulfill wishes."

    "Don''t misunderstand, the correct answer is that I help people to fulfill their desire but only when ¡ºThey are ready to sacrifice anything to have their wish granted¡». I don''t grant them to just anyone...however, I think you qualify, am I right?"

    The virtual body calling itself angel spread its hands.

    That figure blossomed in the dark alley like a pure white flower. But he wondered why.

    "Answer me¡ª¡ªwhat do you desire?"

    Rather than godly, he had an ominous spine-chilling feeling.

    "...ha."

    Tokuma laughed at himself for flinching for a moment. Nothing remained for him to lose anyway. In that case¡ª¡ªhe will use anything and anyone.

    "Give me power. Give me an overwhelming power strong enough beat anyone. Absolute power that will make anyone grovel in front of me!!!"

    "That''s simple. Then I''ll give you this program. This will allow you to raise your performance a few times¡ª¡ªhowever, you will feel pain corresponding to it."

    "...pain? But this is Elysion? There''s no way¡ª¡ª"

    "There is. It''s just that the virtual body is normally blocking it. This modified virtual body is different. What, there''s nothing to worry about. It''s virtual reality after all, if you have a strong heart you will withstand it¡ª¡ªit''s fine if you try it out."

    Saying that, the Angel materialized a jet black crystal on the palm of its hand and pushed it inside of Tokuma''s body.

    The crystal began to destroy his body from the inside, and electromagnetic waves ran through Tokuma''s virtual body.

    "...nn? A, gh, gy, gGHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!"

    Just when he thought that nothing has changed and wanted to question the angel.

    What hit Tokuma was severe pain as if all of the nerves in his body were being ripped apart.

    He raised a scream that seemed like it will make his throat collapse, but his pain did not subside.

    "That''s a pretty nice howl. Does it hurt that much?"

    "AGAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! S-STOPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!"

    Feeling unbearable pain Tokuma begged as tears flowed from his eyes. But Angel looked down on him with cold eyes, as if he was a pebble on the side of the road and shook its head seemingly troubled.

    "That''s troubling. To think that he would break this early in the experiment. Seriously, people with weak hearts really are small fries. I wanted him to fight that person again to gather data. It can''t be helped. Let''s try the other candidate."

    Once again¡ª¡ªthe Angel created a black crystal and squeezed Tokuma''s head.

    "It''s a program that causes excessive secretion of adrenaline. You won''t be feeling pain now, instead you will feel good. If it''s simple orders then you should understand. ...now then, I''ll have you play the villain for a while longer."

    A beautiful, no, the Angel made a too beautiful of a smile.

    There was no evil in it as it looked down on the broken man, its expression wasn''t malicious. If someone saw it he would have surely thought.

    ¡ª¡ªNeither frightening nor evil, it was just an empty expression.

    "...well then, let''s start the experiment."

    The Angel murmured and disappeared into darkness.

    Translator''s Notes and References

    - 1.¡ü Cihuac¨®atl means snake woman in Aztec and is a name of a fertility goddess.

    - 2.¡ü could be talent, power or money, just "something"

 Volume 2, 4 - Karasuba Fuyuki and Karasuba Shio

    Volume 2, Chapter 4 - Karasuba Fuyuki and Karasuba Shio

    Part 1

    ¡ª¡ªTracing back to around noon.

    "Yahaha... seems like we bought a little too much."

    "Where do you see ''little''! I''m clearly over-weight here!''

    Around the time Taiga and Shio entered ¡¶Babel¡·, Fuyuki and Rui returned to ¡¶Paradise¡· to eat lunch.

    "Little sister is super tired. Don''t want to move no more."

    "Well that''s because we''ve walked around quite a lot?, though Rui-san could still continue."

    "Hmph, that''s because little sister doesn''t have any stamina."

    They shopped in a store that didn''t have any customers despite the fact it was a holiday (to be exact 80% of their shopping was done by Rui), they bought things like clothes and bags.

    Seeing the amount of things she bought, Master¡ªSaionji Jyugo scowled.

    "Rui. It''s good that you aren''t obsessed about saving money, but I won''t forgive being wasteful."

    "Uu...umm that''s... you know? When I was picking clothes for Fuyuki, I found a lot of things I wanted to buy, see? That''s why, umm, overlook it? Dad?."

    "No way. I''m cutting your pocket money for next month."

    "Seriously?!"

    It was too much of a shock to her, Rui fell down and lying her head on the counter seat, she placed a hand on it. Fuyuki who has bought a lot of things felt somewhat sorry, and apologized to Rui.

    "Sorry, Rucchan. Because of little sister..."

    "No, it''s not Fuyuki''s fault. Rui-san got too fired up. That aside, you''re hungry right? Hurry up and make an order."

    Raising her face in a hurry Rui passed the menu. Although Fuyuki remembered the entire menu, she still properly took it from her best friend.

    "Then, a pancake set."

    "Okayy. Dad, the same thing for me."

    Jyugo received the order and immediately begun cooking, while the food was being prepared the two girls checked on their loot.

    There''s really a lot... the wardrobe is going to expand.

    During the time when she was immersed in studies at Karasuba she didn''t have suitable clothes for going outside. The clothes she had on herself were the only thing she brought as she ran away from Karasuba.

    While Fuyuki was worried about that, Rui not only chose clothes that fit her, but also perfectly coordinated her outfits.

    At first Fuyuki was taken aback by how different the clothes were, but when she actually wore them it turned out that they suited her outstandingly. Like usual, Rui''s sensitivity was surprising.

    It''s the same when it comes to cyber technology, Rucchan is amazing at things like this.

    If it''s just technology, Saionji Rui couldn''t win against Tenryo Fuyuki. It wasn''t a problem of having or not having a talent. Fuyuki received specialized education in one of four major cyber-related corporations ''Karasuba'' while Rui received only general education, they came from way too different environments.

    However, Fuyuki could declare with all certainty that when it came to preparing attack-configured programs, Saionji Rui was definitely better than she was.

    It wasn''t like Fuyuki was bad at making those. She made quite a few of them before, they were better than attack-configured programs that normally circulate, and had a good performance. Still, when compared to the ones Rui made, they were strangely bleak.

    What made Fuyuki''s and Rui''s different, was sensibility.

    The basics of programming are in the form of the imagination. Repeating precise calculations aiming for a desired result, bringing it closer to an ideal little by little. For that there''s both a need for computing power and imagination¡ª¡ªand with that, sensibility is complete.

    Partially because Fuyuki was a researcher before, she tends to focus on efficiency, and cuts down on the wasteful parts as much as possible to derive the best results under limited conditions.

    That was also reflected in ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡·, the program she has written for Taiga.

    But Rui was different. The most important thing for her was to make it ''fun''.

    In the past, Rui asked Fuyuki "please teach me programming" and received a detailed lecture on the topic.

    The basics aside, programming was something to be done very instinctively. When Fuyuki reached the last part and was in doubt, not knowing what she should teach her, when she finally decided to teach her how to make a small structure Rui reacted to it¡ª¡ª''Is that any fun?''.

    Creating a structure was essential, it wasn''t the case of it being fun or unfun¡ª¡ªthinking like that Fuyuki taught her, and in the end Rui managed to make a structure, even if it was very small.

    The thing that she created was extremely miserable, and when Fuyuki questioned her ''How did it turn out to be something like this?'' Rui simply answered her with ''Because it''s more interesting like this, right?''.

    Fuyuki was surprised by the fact Rui didn''t think of it as a failure. Three days later, she created a structure incorporating a fantastic system, moreover it was big enough for a person to move in. It was created with only the knowledge she was taught and while it looked proper at a single glance, it was built by mysteriously connecting various elements.

    When it came to capability only, Fuyuki''s was far above Rui.

    However¡ª¡ªRui had her own distinct sense, and with it Saionji Rui definitely reached the ''genius'' realm.

    "What is it, Fuyuki? Are the outfits Rui-san coordinated weird?"

    Hearing a voice coming from the seat next to hers, Fuyuki''s thinking returned back to reality.

    "No, all of it is really amazing. ...well, maybe some of them. I wonder what kind of thinking circuitry do you have to come up with such a combination, that''s what I would like to know."

    "Eh? Didn''t you subtly make fun of me there?"

    "No way. If anything, then it was praise."

    Although some time ago Rui said that she and her brother were weird, but she too could have been categorized as that. That''s what Fuyuki thought earlier that day.

    "Sorry for the wait, two pancake sets. Eat before they get cold."

    It seemed like the food was prepared as they spoke about that, in front of the two were soup in a cup, a pancake and salad lined up. Fuyuki and Rui stopped rummaging in the paper bags filled with clothes, and focused on the food.

    "It''s delicious as always. Master, if you changed the bar-like interior, some customers might actually come?"

    "You really do say horrible things without any hesitation."

    Although Fuyuki had an intense fear of strangers, as expected she got used to him after a week. She could speak to her best friend''s father, Saionji Jyugo while remaining relatively calm.

    "Certainly today''s lunch is really good. Also, Rui-san didn''t need to help to prepare it either."

    "Or rather, how come this business doesn''t collapse? Or are you profitable?"

    "Ahaha, you know ¡¶Paradise¡· is just Dad''s obsession?"

    "Saying it''s an obsession is too much. I won''t deny it is my hobby though."

    "That''s what you say. But all the fine details are done by Mom."

    "...Rui, your allowance cut is extended by a month."

    "Eeee?!"

    They continued to eat and chat like that for the next twenty minutes, after the meal the two of them enjoyed a cup of Japanese tea¡ª¡ªand thought about what to do next¡ª¡ªas they relaxed after a meal.

    ...in the end, we just ended up playing around normally.

    Although she felt like she was being approached with something, but Rui didn''t say anything.

    Fuyuki herself knew very well that she couldn''t continue like that¡ª¡ªbut no matter what, she didn''t have the courage to face the past that was catching up to her.

    "Speaking of which, Taiga seemes to be acting alone? He''s been here a while ago to eat."

    "Oh, so Taiga came. So he logged out for a while?"

    The moment she heard it, Fuyuki reflexively rose up.

    She didn''t know for how long she''s been there. But she needed to hurry up and chase after him, they might meet again if she makes it before he returns from Elysion¡ª¡ªand as she attempted to run out, her arm was grasped.

    "...Rucchan?"

    "You can''t, Fuyuki."

    I won''t let you go¡ª¡ªthat''s what her eyes relayed, Rui continued to hold onto Fuyuki''s arm.

    For a moment Fuyuki felt like shaking off her hand, but seeing her serious expression she sat back on the seat.

    "Sorry Dad, can we occupy the seats for a while longer?"

    "...as long as you get off when a customer comes."

    After saying that, Jyugo moved to the back of the kitchen. Rui said ''thank you'' in the back of her mind and murmured at the same time before facing Fuyuki again.

    "Rucchan, why did you stop me. Little sister only wanted to¡ª¡ª"

    "Wanted to be pampered by Taiga, right?"

    "...yes."

    For herself who couldn''t go forward, with an unchanged status quo, her heart sought support.

    It''s not that Saionji Rui didn''t support her. Still¡ª¡ªshe instinctively sought her blood related brother.

    "...Fuyuki doesn''t know anything. Why a siscon like Taiga went as far as to ask Rui-san to take care of Fuyuki. You really don''t know the reason for that do you."

    "So Rucchan knows the reason?"

    "Although the person himself didn''t confirm it. But seeing Fuyuki right now, trying to escape again, I can tell."

    These words pierced Fuyuki''s heart, she looked away from Rui''s stare. If she were to look her in the eyes, she would have no choice but to admit her words.

    "...Fuyuki doesn''t just want to be pampered by Taiga. What you''re facing, you want Taiga to shoulder what you should be shouldering and take care of it for you right? Taiga is kind, there''s no way he will refuse Fuyuki. His precious little sister is troubled, so he''ll help."

    Maybe, she somehow did it unconsciously. Even so¡ª¡ªafter being apart for eight years Tenryo Fuyuki who suffered from unbearable loneliness turned to rely on her brother with whom she finally reunited with.

    "...you mean I shouldn''t rely on Brother?"

    "Relying on someone is not a bad thing. But, I think pushing someone''s back and leaving everything to them is wrong. At least the first step, you need to take that step by yourself. If you leave all of it to others, where is your own will then?"

    If Taiga were to tell Fuyuki ''Don''t run away'', she would face Shio even against her own will. However, there was no worth in such resolution.

    Distressed and suffering¡ª¡ªand yet still trying to move forward, if the resolution dwelling inside her came from desperation, she would no longer be able to shine. There was no meaning in borrowed resolution.

    "Just waiting for Taiga to step in is no good. Though I think that would definitely work. But if you really want to overcome it, you should gather the courage to step out. Right?"

    Saying that, Rui reached out to Fuyuki.

    Her irreplaceable best friend who''s been with her for four years straight.

    There was a dazzling confidence in her eyes, she believed in her from the bottom of her heart, Fuyuki was envious of it¡ª¡ªbut even so, she didn''t take her hand.

    "...Fuyuki."

    "...I''m sorry. But I''m scared. I''m really scared of being denied again, I can''t help it..."

    She should have forgotten it, it was a memory she should not see ever again.

    But the fact that she reunited with Shio reminded her of the past and pained Fuyuki''s heart. Her expression that said ''I wish I never met Hime-chan.'', her expression that implied her heart was broken, her eyes that looked like she was weeping in despair, they wouldn''t leave Fuyuki''s head.

    To be denied again¡ª¡ªthinking of that, she couldn''t help but be scared.

    "...I see."

    Rui didn''t know what past the two had, she didn''t know because of what Fuyuki was suffering from. But she could tell that Fuyuki continued to live, while continuously suffering from a burden just by looking at how she trembled.

    That''s why Rui retracted her outstretched hand.

    "Alright! Let''s play then!"

    "..................ha?"

    "We have two Arclights here, it''s been a while since we entered ¡¶Aries¡· with just the two of us, come on hold the luggage."

    "Eh, wha.. wai... Rucchan?!

    Rui grabbed Fuyuki''s hand and led her up the stairs to her home.

    The second floor of ¡¶Paradise¡· is Saionji''s home, it was a place no different from any other normal household. If there had to be one difference pointed out forcefully, it would be the fact that it had no kitchen space.

    In the back of their home, was Rui''s room.

    "Go ahead. It''s the first time you enter Rui-san''s room right?"

    "Yeah..."

    While her thinking still couldn''t keep up with the sudden turn of events, Fuyuki stepped inside of a room that had a nameplate saying ¡¸RUI¡¹ hanging on it.

    If one were to describe it with a single word, it would be a big room.

    There were no unified electronic devices like the ones in Tenryo''s home''s dive room, but the room was filled with various different items. But since it was really tidy, it seemed very spacious despite the amount of items inside.

    A basketball, tennis and lacrosse rackets, there''s also a guitar. Just how many hobbies does she have.

    Probably, anyone who would see this room would think¡ª¡ª''just what the hell does this room''s owner want to do''.

    "You really tried many things. It seemed like you''re good at sports but I didn''t think you even dabbled in instruments."

    "Yahaha... actually I didn''t use it all that much. I got bored of it."

    Doing anything as long as it''s fun at the moment¡ª¡ªthat''s how the girl called Saionji Rui was.

    Her parents, especially her mother rooted for her and bought for her whatever she wanted, which might have encouraged such behaviour.

    While Fuyuki looked around the room examining various things, Rui began to rummage through the closet.

    "Ummm, the spare should be around here... there it is."

    Rui pulled out an orthodox headgear-type Arclight from the back of the closet. Even though it was a previous generation machine from which the paint already came off, there was no problems with its functioning. Together with the newest model of Arclight that was on top of the bed, there were two machines.

    "It''s alright if Fuyuki uses the new one."

    "All right. ...it''s the first time I''m using a small-type."

    At Karasuba she used a large machine, and when they moved in she used the medium-sized machine. Although she had a small one as a spare, she never used it. It was a simple machine that specialized in diving into Elysion, it didn''t have any other functions other than that. What everyone was focusing on, was diffusion rate, though those machines were expensive.

    Rui installed the older machine next to the bed and hit the bed twice, inviting Fuyuki.

    Since the small machines didn''t have anything to support the body like the medium-sized and large-sized machines, they needed to lie down during immersion.

    "...excuse me then."

    Fuyuki got on the bed cautiously and lied down next to Rui.

    Because it was the first time for her to lie down with someone of the same sex she was a little nervous. Because it wasn''t a twin bed, but a narrow ordinary one, their hands overlapped.

    "Let''s go then!"

    She started the Arclight at Rui''s sign, and the two jumped into the paradise of electrons together.

    Part 2

    ¡´"¡ª¡ªHee, you did pretty well. You have my praise."¡µ

    "Thanks. Though, it''s not me who prepared that."

    Around the time when Fuyuki and Rui entered ¡¶Aries¡·, Taiga and Shio left the central city ¡¶Central Kadora¡· and entered a canyon outside of it.

    Since monsters appeared, Shio continued to shoot arrows at a good pace taking down crow-like monster with flame-imbued arrows.

    After the ¡¶UNKNOWN¡· was over Taiga jumped out of the arena and pulled Shio by her hand. But since he didn''t know what to do, he returned afterwards to ask Leon.

    According to what he said, while players could travel freely, not all places were available for them right from the beginning.

    Every area had a fixed boss monster, and players were able to proceed to the next area after defeating him. The moment they are defeated the move point in that place is released and can be used at any time. By the way, players A-ranked or higher who have the qualification, ''subdue viruses by moving from area to area and receive their prize in ¡¶Babel¡· afterwards'' (and they do it repeatedly). And that''s the general behaviour pattern for players.

    Since it also served a purpose of trying out Shio''s new attack-configured program, they chose a valley area with many flying enemies around. Since Taiga didn''t have any way to do long-ranged attacks and couldn''t fight, he called Haya instead.

    He transferred over the investigation report he got from Leon, and with this his work was over.

    ¡´"It''s the same as in other structures, ''Angel'' gives away a wide variety of programs that could destroy the game''s balance. Calling himself like that on purpose. ...just what is his aim?"¡µ

    "Isn''t he just flaunting his abilities?"

    Taiga answered not bothered, but Haya wasn''t that positive, she seemed anxious.

    Certainly, she thought of that possibility. But considering there were many structures that were hit, including large-scale structures managed by Kiritou, it would be better to take care of ''Angel'' who was poking holes in the system Kiritou made. If that''s happening, the fact that Kiritou will begin moving sooner or later could be easily predicted.

    ¡´"...it seems like he''s incredibly confident in his skill."¡µ

    The fact that ''Angel'' might really be targeting Kiritou¡ª¡ªstimulated the mind of Haya who was suffering from lack of sleep.

    ¡´"¡ª¡ªTaiga, additional orders. If you were to get in contact with ''Angel'', recover the program made by him."¡µ

    "Haa?! Wait a second, I don''t have time for¡ª¡ª"

    As expected, at this rate he would become her handyman. Just as Taiga was going to refuse, he stumbled seeing the expression on Haya''s face that was displayed in the window.

    "...fufufufufufu. To come up with such a troublesome task when I''m this busy, and to provoke me like that on top of it... even though I''m already cutting my sleep time to do a mountain of work... I wonder what I''m gonna do to him when I catch him... ufufufufufufufufufu? ."

    Scary¡ª?!

    Haya flashed a dark, spine-chilling smile causing Taiga to instinctively back away.

    ¡´"You will do it right?"¡µ

    "...yes."

    In front of the smile that seemed to say he would be socially obliterated if he refused, Taiga nodded repeatedly.

    Contact me when you find a clue¡ª¡ªHaya said that and cut off the connection. Taiga looked up at the sky and murmured words of excuse.

    "No¡ª, it was impossible to refuse just now."

    He continued to curse himself as he restored his line of sight and saw Shio''s appearance as she shot flaming arrows in the air.

    "Bullets!"

    Together with her voice the arrow divided into dozens of small flaming arrows. The flaming arrows tracked the eagle-type monsters flying in the sky and shot them down one after another by burning their bodies. However, some monsters escaped from the tracking arrow and dived in a straight line at Shio.

    If it was Shio from a while ago, that attack would have made her push the panic button.

    But as expected, after going through the same thing for five times already, she got used to it. She created an arrow of ice by imagining it and unleashed it.

    The arrow rotated in the air and rose to the sky while cutting the wind and pierced through the enemy.

    "Woah, you''re mastering another one. ¡¶Cryoflare¡· was it?"

    "Yup. It''s all thanks to Onii-san who taught me the basics of the bow."

    After using the program in the form of a crystal that was the award for winning the match, Shio''s bow turned into a distinctive two-coloured bow that could shoot arrows of fire and ice.

    The flame arrows had a tracking ability and the ice arrows could penetrate the targets, it was also possible to use both abilities simultaneously. It was an excellent attack-configured program that had three attack types¡ª¡ªthe ¡¶Cryoflare¡·.

    "At this rate it doesn''t seem like my turn will come."

    "So you say. Even though I''ve been nearly killed before."

    Shio set up another arrow and continued to exterminate enemies.

    ...I wonder. what are the other two doing now?

    Taiga looked as fire and ice intertwined, and his thoughts were directed towards the two girls elsewhere.

    Part 3

    Qualification holders in ¡¶Aries¡·¡ª¡ªin other words, those of A-rank or higher, to become one it''s exceedingly difficult. Among tens of thousands users there''s only around a hundred people who hold qualification, because they are only a few percent of the total player base, they are incredibly rare.

    Every user starts from rank E, they usually reach C rank after around three months. But even though it proceeds smoothly until then, the road to B rank takes around a year if a user plays every day.

    Reaching there is difficult enough, but it only gets harder from then onwards. A lot of players give up on obtaining the next rank.

    There''s only one condition, to have the ability.

    After becoming an A-rank they are allowed to subdue powerful viruses, as such they need to be accordingly strong. In the case of a defeat, the management would charge them a fee for regenerating their virtual bodies, however, that way the original purpose of eliminating viruses would not be achieved.

    Therefore there''s a certain level of ability required, it was a level completely different from the one normal users could achieve. At the very least, they needed a high level attack-configured program.

    And the second was, to complete all area''s of Aries.

    Unlike the small fries that are controlled by the management, the targets specified for suppression appear randomly and it''s impossible to predict it. Sometimes they appear in high difficulty areas, and sometimes they appear near the initial point. Therefore, it''s needed to gain access to all areas¡ª¡ªin other words, to clear the entire game.

    While that condition sounds like something easy to do, that''s where the majority of users are stuck at.

    The reason is the boss in the final area of ¡¶Aries¡·¡ª¡ªthe so-called final boss.

    This last boss has strength equal to that of a virus specified as a target for subjugation, and on top of it, there was a need to defeat it solo.

    As a result, ever since the ¡¶Aries¡· started six years ago, there were only around hundred people who reached A-rank. Moreover, there were only ten people who reached S-rank.

    "There there! Take that!!"

    "...and what is one of those top ten doing."

    Staring at this young heroine who vigorously knocked away monsters with a great momentum, Fuyuki started to forget she was in the middle of combat as well.

    Although instant death-class monsters appeared in front of them from a trap, their teeth didn''t reach her and the blades pulverized them one after another.

    Since Brother was the one in the front recently I forgot, but Rucchan''s strength is cheat-class...

    In order to get accustomed to fighting in Aries, Rui only provided support from a distance. However, her original battle style was to engage in medium-range combat. She could probably match Taiga when fighting one-on-one.

    "Hoo, finally we cleaned it up."

    The great heroine wiped three parties with ease, and then Rui waved towards her lightly. Then the weapons dispersed around turned into light. Although Fuyuki thought there might be a need of lending a hand, but it seemed like it wasn''t necessary.

    "It''s the second time I come here, but the traps here are as nasty as usual¡ª. The people who come here for the first time usually die right away."

    "When someone who breaks through that unscathed and shamelessly says that, it''s not convincing."

    The place two of them were at, was area called ¡¶Ancient Ruins¡· located far south of the central city. Rui who was an S rank has cleared it long ago, but it was Fuyuki''s first time there. When they were at a loss where to go with just the two of them in ¡¶Aries¡·, this was the place Rui chose.

    They proceeded while taking down the monsters that appeared along the way.

    Rui acted as a vanguard and took all enemies upon herself, while Fuyuki attacked them from a distance. This was the formation they used continuously for four years, it made Fuyuki feel incredible nostalgia.

    ...it hasn''t been even two weeks and yet it feels like it''s been a long time.

    That was all, it was more important for her to spend her time with her Brother.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªFuyuki just wants to be spoiled.

    Suddenly, she remembered those words.

    That might have been true. But, what''s wrong with acting spoiled?

    Her only brother in this world, her beloved that she wanted to meet, but couldn''t for eight years. If she''s not allowed to act spoiled towards someone like that, then where should she seek comfort when facing this suffering, this pain.

    When Fuyuki was younger and did not have anyone to rely on, she couldn''t withstand the pain. She had no choice but to close the wound, she pretended to have forgotten, she had to live pretending as if nothing happened.

    And she deserted her friend who was crushed by despair, she ran away alone.

    Scary, is it. Even I think it''s incredibly selfish of me to say that...

    Even though she was the one who cast her into the depths of despair, but she was still afraid of facing her. Fuyuki knows very well just how selfish that was.

    Even so, she wasn''t able to gather the resolve to meet her.

    "...aah."

    Because she was thinking about unnecessary things, she was hit by an attack that normally would never reach her. Probably because it was a high level monster, her HP has decreased by nearly 20%.

    "You''re not focusing, Fuyuki. At this rate you''ll be taken down."

    After cleaning all the remaining monsters Rui warned her.

    It was one of the highest difficulty areas in Aries. Although Fuyuki boasted of being as strong as an A-rank, her durability was still that of a B rank. It wasn''t a place she can let herself drop her guard at. She herself knew that very well, but¡ª¡ª.

    "...that''s impossible."

    "Nn?"

    "...after being told that there''s no way I can focus."

    The words stabbed into her mind and continued to circle around in her head without stopping.

    She felt as if she strayed into a maze and had no way out. Ever since she reunited with Shio she felt as if her heart was wrapped in mud.

    She didn''t want to be alone. She wanted to be spoiled by someone. She wanted to seek warmth, but was denied of it.

    ¡ª¡ªIf I am to feel like this... I wish I never met Hime-chan!¡ª¡ª

    The memory didn''t fade away, and continued to torment her.

    A lonely girl suffering after losing her entire family couldn''t withstand it.

    "What should little sister do? What should she do to free herself from the past? Please, tell me..."

    Standing there, wasn''t the girl who was a programming genius.

    Grief after losing her parents, the loneliness she felt, the harsh days in Karasuba, the girl continued to deceive herself focusing on her love for her brother. ''For the sake of Brother'' she continued to protect herself while indulging in those words, ''For the sake of Brother'' she continued to say, relying on him, a small and weak girl.

    ...at a time like this, if Taiga were here he would gently comfort her.

    As Fuyuki continued to fall apart in front of her, Rui could not help her in any way. That''s because she knew that if she did it, everything that has been done up until then would have become meaningless.

    "¡ª¡ªSorry, Fuyuki. I can''t tell you that."

    That''s why she told her the cruel truth.

    "...why, is that...?"

    Rui sat down next to Fuyuki and looked into her clear, sky blue eyes. She started speaking slowly.

    "Once upon a time, in certain place there was a single girl."

    "...what are you saying all of a sudden."

    "It''s something like a folk tale. Just listen till the end. ...that girl was good at both sports and academics, she was an outstanding child."

    "That''s a horrible beginning."

    "Fufu, so it is. ¡ª¡ªThe chosen girl was very bright and always surrounded by a lot of people. She was always the centre of the class, even her parents thought she led a fulfilling life. But the heart of the girl in question was dry."

    "...why?"

    "The girl was too outstanding. Whether sports or musical instruments, after doing something for a short while she reached the level where only few could barely keep up... she tried many many things, but she found all of it incredibly boring."

    That''s why no matter what she tried, she couldn''t find someone she could become friends with.

    While there were people who could be called her friends, there was no one she had a relationship good enough with to call them ''best friend''.

    "She hated such a boring life. Four years ago the girl decided to try playing on a certain structure. She thought that she might find someone the same age as her, and might be able to do something seriously for once. And then, as she indifferently took down monsters in the beginner area, she met a girl with beautiful eyes."

    That meeting was a complete coincidence.

    However¡ª¡ªthe girl who was tired of ordinary life, and the girl with an unknown talent who was brought up in an unusual environment met. It might have been inevitable.

    "What happened from then onwards, there''s no need for me to say it right?"

    "Yeah... of course not."

    Fuyuki remembered it as if it was yesterday.

    To take a breather from research, she entered ¡¶Aries¡· while keeping it secret from Karasuba. There, she met a strangely over-familiar girl. Although Fuyuki was scared of becoming friends with anyone, the girl persistently continued to talk to her making her finally decide to go with her on a journey together¡ª¡ªthat was how she met Saionji Rui.

    "Eh¡ª, now that I think about it, it was really too much. I was one step away from being mistaken as a stalker."

    "...I''m grateful to Rucchan."

    If Rui wasn''t so forceful, she would continue to be alone¡ª¡ªthat''s what Fuyuki thought. It was the first time she heard about Rui''s past, but no matter the reason, she was grateful to her for breaking her out of her shell.

    "Thanks. Umm, I want to say that... no matter what shape it takes, Fuyuki should seriously face Shio-chan head on. Just like Rui-san."

    "...but."

    "You might face these bitter feelings again. Nevertheless, nothing will change unless you make that step. If Fuyuki wants to live while being troubled by those feelings, Rui-san won''t say anything else. But if you want to start over with Shio-chan, even if you think of it just a little bit, Rui-san will help you. Shall we do our best together?"

    ¡ª¡ªThis much help should fine, right? Taiga.

    She said that in her mind to the boy with sky blue eyes and reached out to Fuyuki again. Fuyuki looked up and stared at Rui''s hand.

    And thought about it.

    She met Rui, and was saved from the darkness. She took this hand, and was able to break out from her lonely life. In that case¡ª¡ªafter she ran away, was there anyone who would save Shio?

    ...are you going to leave it to someone else again?

    These were the words she aimed at herself.

    Her brother declared that he will definitely stay by her side. Even though the truth was that he was really weak, even though he wanted support, he pretended to be strong.

    If that was the case, she will change, here and now.

    To become someone strong enough to support another person, just like she was saved by Rui before, she will change into someone strong and capable of saving another. The lie will become truth.

    "Little sister is a weak person."

    "That may be so."

    "Just getting spoiled by both Brother and Rucchan, she never confronted anyone seriously. If it''s painful, she might run away again. At that time¡ª¡ªwill you scold little sister?"

    "Yup, of course."

    Taking the outstretched hand, Fuyuki rose up. Her sky-blue azure pupils were completely different from before, a shine of resolute will dwelled within them.

    "...I keep troubling and being taken care of by Rucchan."

    "Don''t mind it, don''t mind it. We''re friends after all."

    Rui laughed as she said that, Fuyuki said ''thank you'' again, conveying her heartfelt gratitude.

    "Then, what do we do now? Go to where Shio-chan is immediately?"

    "No... before that, there''s something I need to tell to both Brother and Rucchan. Let''s change the location to somewhere we can talk in silence."

    "Oh, then won''t that place be good?"

    "That place?"

    "Yup. We have preferential rights, it''s a good opportunity to visit it isn''t it?"

    Rui held out a window while saying so, on it were written coordinates of ¡¶Oonira¡· structure.

    Part 4

    "...nn? An e-mail?"

    It was just when they left the canyon area and entered the plain. Suddenly, a mail screen appeared in front of Taiga. The sender of the e-mail was¡ª¡ªTenryo Fuyuki.

    He checked it the very moment Shio wasn''t looking his way, looking through the contents of the e-mail.

    These coordinates were not that of ¡¶Aries¡·, they showed a different structure. Taiga was completely out of touch with the Elysion, but he was able to trigger a transition using the mail.

    ...that Rui, it seems like it went well.

    There was nothing that said what happened in the mail. However, Taiga believed that his little sister definitely will move forward.

    "Onii-san, did something happen?"

    "Sorry Shio. Something came up. Can I log out for a while?"

    "Oh, is that so. Then maybe I''ll take a break as well..."

    "Is that so. It should be fine to stop for today. Thanks."

    "Thank you ver¡ª"

    As Shio waved modestly to him, Taiga touched the coordinates provided in the e-mail and starting the transition process. His visibility was quickly dyed white, Taiga closed his eyes preparing for the incoming shock of spatial transition.

    After the feeling of his entire body being twisted vanished, he was in a completely different world.

    "...this place doesn''t feel like Elysion at all."

    It was lacking the feel virtual reality had, it was a place that looked like a hotel lobby. There was a receptionist in the front and dozen of doors lined up in the back.

    "Oh, he''s here. Taigaa¡ª, over here¡ª!"

    There were Fuyuki and Rui standing in the corner, they were wearing their uniforms. They waved vigorously to him making them very noticeable. He checked himself a bit worried, but it seemed like Taiga''s clothes also changed to a school uniform.

    "Hee¡ª it feels like it''s been a while since we''ve been together the three of us, doesn''t it?"

    "Though it hasn''t been even half a day."

    "Recently we''ve been constantly together?. Separating for a while gives a feeling of freshness doesn''t it?"

    There were roughly twenty people inside of the lobby. Most of them were dressed in plain clothes, in fact, the three in school uniforms stood out.

    "So what were you doing on your side?"

    "Shopping mainly, Rucchan chose some clothes for little sister."

    "Yup, I''ve chosen a lot of cute ones. You''ll enjoy it once we''re back. How about Taiga? You were with Shio-chan all this time right?"

    "...well, yeah."

    He glanced at Fuyuki to see how she reacts, but she wasn''t upset at all and just stared back at him. Her eyes conveyed ''It''s fine now'', causing Taiga to be secretly relieved.

    "Brother. I don''t think that would happen, but you didn''t force the entire story out of her right? "

    "From Shio? There''s no way I''d do that. I taught her how to use a bow, gathered information about some weird guy and for some reason I ended up fighting in Arena. I was really busy you know?"

    "...it was the same with the Grim Reaper incident, Brother really does have a terribly bad luck."

    "...I think so as well."

    Both the matter of Haya''s orders and the case of Tokuma, he felt like a lot happened to him.

    "Hey, the two of you. Don''t just stand here chatting, we should go in."

    "Hm, that''s right."

    "By the way, what kind of structure is this? Our clothes are one thing, but it doesn''t feel like Elysion at all..."

    "This is ¡¶Oonira¡·, it''s a small structure that''s been very popular lately."

    "Oh. I feel like I''ve heard that name before...?"

    "Did you forget? It''s the one Taiga won preferential rights for in a game during Shinkansai, it''s that."

    "...ahhh! I completely forgot."

    He manipulated his terminal and pulled out the preferential rights data, of which its existence he forgot. It allowed them to play in the super popular ¡¶Oonira¡· structure without having to make a reservation six months ahead, there was a time limit of one hour.

    "It uses a private room system, which makes it perfect for us to talk calmly, let''s use it."

    Fuyuki took the data from Taiga''s hand and passed it to a woman at reception, they heard a brief description saying how to use it (but Taiga didn''t pay attention to it), and they received a passkey from her. The trio walked down the hall looking for the room the number on the passkey indicated.

    "This really does look like a hotel..."

    "It seems like it''s built like that on purpose. The rooms in here usually are rented for days, I''ve heard that some people even sleep in here."

    "What happens if you sleep in cyber world?"

    "The brain doesn''t rest completely, but it seems to have some effect?"

    "¡ª¡ªAnd here we are."

    The colour of the door changed from red to blue after Fuyuki used the passkey, the remaining time and amount of people using it was displayed on the nameplate. But that was all, there was no sign of the door opening.

    "Let''s not waste time and enter already."

    Fuyuki said so and took a step forward¡ª¡ªslipping through the door like a ghost. Rui entered it as well, surprised, Taiga followed them.

    "What''s this? There''s nothing in this white space?"

    On the other side of door, there was completely nothing. Furniture aside, there wasn''t even any light sources, only white walls surrounding them from four directions.

    "As expected, this is really bare. Let''s do a makeover."

    Fuyuki closed her eyes. The walls and floors changed shape, turning into ones made of wood. A comfortable-looking sofa appeared from nowhere.

    "...ha?"

    "Since we''re already here, why don''t we add some more? How about this?"

    While Taiga was surprised by the fact that the room suddenly changed, the room itself increased in size and things like tables and beds kept appearing.

    "...what''s up with this room?"

    "To put it simply, it''s a room that changes its shape according to one''s imagination. It changes according to what the people inside envision. How about Brother also tries it?"

    While still doubtful, he solidified an image in his head. He imagined that he held an object in his hand¡ª¡ªthe mock sword he always used during his morning training.

    "Oh...!"

    It appeared just as he imagined it, Taiga was slightly impressed.

    "Fufufu... it doesn''t just produce objects, even something like this can be done!"

    Then, Taiga''s body suddenly started floating in the air.

    He looked around surprised, both Fuyuki and Rui as well as the previously made furniture were all floating.

    "A space without gravity. That''s what you thought of instantly... as expected of Rucchan."

    "This is certainly amazing... however, it''s really annoying too."

    Because there was a lot of furniture inside, the room turned into something miserable.

    The objects in the air continued to float and move around, it looked as if a typhoon entered the room and devastated it. It was difficult to move in there.

    Rui snapped her fingers and the gravity returned to normal. The design of the room also changed at the same time, the interior changed into one that had a calm atmosphere and felt like a recreation room.

    "Interesting isn''t it?

    "Indeed. It can be used really, in many ways."

    The mock sword also disappeared before he noticed. It seemed like it was possible to interfere with things other people created.

    "So, we''re gonna talk about...?"

    "That''s..."

    Suddenly hesitating to speak up, Fuyuki forced herself to form the words.

    Neither Taiga nor Rui said anything, they waited patiently for her to let it out. Fuyuki repeatedly took a deep breath to calm herself, and started to talk slowly.

    "¡ª¡ªLittle sister''s and Karasuba Shio''s... no, Shii-chan''s past."

    Their first meeting and their parting.

    "Shii-chan, eh. Is that how you called her long time ago?"

    "Yeah, eight years ago little sister was taken in by one of the four largest programming companies ''Karasuba''. Theoretically, I was an adopted child."

    "...theoretically?"

    As Fuyuki clenched her teeth strongly, Taiga could see that she was uncomfortable. In truth, it was different¡ª¡ªhe heard as if she said that.

    "Just like Kiritou is developing human resources in their school, Karasuba also brings up researchers in their own way. Internal educational institution ¡ºBird Cage¡». The little sister who was an adoptive child was taken there, there were many children without relatives in there."

    She was given the last name of Karasuba on the family register. However, she didn''t have a single memory of meeting with people who were her adoptive parents. A family only on paper, total strangers¡ª¡ªthat was the relationship she had with Karasuba.

    "Speaking of which, you said that before. That you graduated after a year thanks to treatment that allowed you to skip grades."

    "Yes. Although, that place can''t be called a school. It could be called a factory producing researchers."

    "...that''s quite an unpleasant expression."

    "All the teachers were AI, I was confined in a private room and unable to leave it until I finished the daily quota. It wasn''t very school-like."

    People who reached a certain level were able to graduate. It was possible for Fuyuki who was incredibly outstanding to graduate within a year, however, normally to reach a level required to become Karasuba''s researcher, it takes more than a decade.

    "For Karasuba, little sister was just a tool. A tiny gear made for moving the Karasuba''s huge system... and it didn''t change even after she graduated from the ¡ºBird Cage¡». Every day she continued to create programs alone, in a small laboratory. After just six months of that, little sister couldn''t stand it and started to work on escaping. That''s when she met a single girl."

    "And that was Shio-chan?"

    "Yes. ...from now onwards, it should be easier if you saw it yourselves."

    Fuyuki who stood in the centre of the room closed her eyes quietly. The outline of the room started to distort, the data they gathered from their five senses like sound and colours also went bad.

    "¡¶Oonira¡·''s usage isn''t limited to redecorating the room. Even memories can be visualized as if they were a video."

    Immediately after that, the space rapidly formed a shape. In front of the three appeared a pure white room that had size of about ten tatami mats. There were a few things that could be called furniture inside, kitchenette, a medium-sized Arclight and a minimum of daily necessities.

    In there, was a figure of young Fuyuki. She was wearing a pompous cloak disproportionate to her small body, she was incredibly adorable.

    "Cuuute?!!"

    "It''s little sister, so that''s a given. ...now then I will start it, please stay quiet."

    The video started to move. Apparently young Fuyuki just came back from theElysion, she raised her body and stretched.

    "Funyaa... tired..."

    The girl rubbed her eyes, then slowly removed the headgear and opened the refrigerator. She drank a jelly-like contents all at once.

    Although there were no windows, but it seemed like it was morning. On the window that appeared beside Fuyuki was a clock which displayed the time, it was eight o''clock.

    Judging by how tired she was, it seemed like she had been working the entire night.

    "...Onii... I want to meet you..."

    She was looking at a picture. It was the last photo of the siblings taken when they were parting eight years ago. Young Fuyuki gently traced Taiga''s face and tears appeared in her eyes.

    She was at her limit.

    While originally she was scared of strangers, Fuyuki was already more shy than anyone. She lost her parents, separated from her brother, she spent over a year in solitude and her heart was starving for a connection.

    But there wasn''t even a single opportunity. At that day, Fuyuki decided to run away.

    Not thinking much, she unlocked the doors by hacking it and young Fuyuki jumped out of the laboratory.

    "Haa... haa..."

    She continued to run while being out of breath.

    Although she was originally bad with exercising, she didn''t go out for more than a year and a half, her physical strength has dropped significantly. Fuyuki didn''t know the structure of the research building, and ran away towards the mountains to get away, her stamina was wasted in vain.

    "Auu... it''s not here either..."

    Young Fuyuki was very smart and knew very well that she''d be brought back if she''s found.

    That''s why she continued to change direction whenever she saw an adult¡ª¡ªthat happened so many times she was soon completely exhausted.

    And, she heard adults talking in front of her, Fuyuki quickly entered the closest room¡ª¡ª

    "...who are you?"

    She met a girl with silver hair.

    The girl was surprised by the sudden intrusion. She was probably working on something, a huge amount of windows was expanded. On the other hand, it was the first time for Fuyuki to meet a girl her age, and couldn''t hide her surprise at the room''s appearance.

    Bright purple colour occupied her field of view. Rainy season flowers known as hydrangea decorated the room.

    It was obvious that they were artificial. But inside of the room there was a damp smell floating around, as if it were raining. Because of this aroma, young Fuyuki was reminded of the time she spent with her family.

    "...why are you crying?"

    "Eh...?"

    Only after being told that, Fuyuki noticed she was crying. As she hurriedly wiped her tears, feelings of nostalgia filled her thoughts immediately.

    "Uu...Uuuu...UAAaaa..."

    "Eh, hey?! Eh?!"

    The girl panicked as Fuyuki suddenly started crying. Not knowing what to do, but still unable to leave the sobbing girl alone¡ª¡ª

    "Umm... there, there."

    She put her hand on Fuyuki''s head and gently stroked it.

    That hand was very gentle, causing Fuyuki to cry again.

    And that was Fuyuki''s and Shio''s¡ª¡ªmeeting of two lonely girls.

    "I am Karasuba Shio. What''s your name?"

    "...Tenr..yo... no, Karasuba Fuyuki."

    "Karasuba? ...can it be, you''re from the ¡ºBird Cage¡»?"

    "Yes. And you''re not?"

    "Yup. I''m from the head family."

    Ten minutes after their sudden encounter, Fuyuki was sitting on the coach beside Shio. It''s been a while since she talked to someone her age, so she was a bit nervous.

    "...so you''re a real ojou-sama?

    "That''s right. Although since I''m the second daughter, and I have an older brother I''m not the successor to Karasuba."

    "Ha?...you''re amazing."

    Unconsciously, Fuyuki sighed in admiration.

    If she was from one of the four major cyber-related corporates ¡ºKarasuba¡», that meant she was a top class ojou-sama.

    However the person in question looked troubled and shook her head.

    "It''s not that great. Rather than that, I think you''re more amazing for being given your own laboratory at that age. Isn''t that more outstanding?"

    "...after being locked in a place like this, I''m happy that I did my best."

    Those were the feelings from the bottom of her heart.

    I want to see Brother. If I excel at studies and have achievements I''ll be able to act freely¡ª¡ªthat''s what she thought in her young mind, and Fuyuki graduated from ¡ºBird Cage¡» after a year of desperate effort, she devoted herself to studying to the very limit, even sacrificing sleep.

    And yet, her situation didn''t change at all. Rather than that, she was entrusted with copious amount of work, and her free time rapidly vanished. Contrary to her expectations, the reality cornered her.

    "You''re happy that you did your best, is it... hey, how do you write ''Fuyuki''?"

    "Umm, ''fuyu'' as in winter and ''hime'' as in princess, read as Fuyuki."

    "Fuyuki... then I''ll call you Hime-chan."

    "Mu... then I''ll call you Shii-chan."

    "Shii-chan... it''s the first time I''ve been called that. Yup, I like it."

    Contrary to her young appearance, Fuyuki had a adult-like name she was concerned with.

    That''s why when she was called with a childlike name ''Hime-chan'' she retaliated... but she also unexpectedly liked it.

    "Hey, Hime-chan. Why did you become a researcher?"

    "...that''s how it turned out. Also, I have a goal. And for that goal I need to become even better."

    "Even better... in that case, I think you need to try even harder you know?"

    "Even... harder?"

    "I don''t know what Hime-chan''s goal is, but normally what researchers can do is limited. You need to become a senior researcher at the very least."

    "Is that so. So unless I reach even higher, it''s no good."

    Fuyuki calmed down, and started to think realistically again.

    Even if she got out of the researcher''s building, what would she do afterwards. If they found out she tried to run away, they would become vigilant from that moment onward¡ª¡ªshe couldn''t let that happen.

    Just when she thought of that. Shio clapped both of her hands and said "I thought of something good".

    "That''s right. Hime-chan, why won''t you help me study?"

    "Study?"

    "Yup. It''s fine if it''s only when you have free time. Hime-chan is around my age right? I think it''s better to study together with other people of the same age."

    Fuyuki was hesitant, but there was only one answer.

    "..if that''s what you want, then I don''t mind doing it as my thanks for earlier."

    "I see, thank you! Then let''s do our best starting from tomorrow."

    And like that Fuyuki continued to stay at Karasuba, the two of them continued to study together in Shio''s study room.

    Fuyuki who was almost crushed by loneliness made a friend who filled the gap in her heart even if just by a bit. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say Shio was the reason she could stand the harsh days in laboratory.

    She felt fun spending time with Shio. However, Fuyuki noticed that occasionally Shio smiled in distress.

    When she asked her why did she decorate the room with artificial hydrangea, Shio replied.

    "That''s because hydrangea tries its best to shine even in rain, right? Even when it''s hard, it desperately tries and shines no matter what."

    When she heard that for the first time she thought ''she looks at it from a strange perspective''.

    But three months after their first study session, on a certain day. Fuyuki overheard Shio''s conversation with her father by coincidence, and found the reason.

    Ever since then, the gears slowly started to go crazy.

    Why are you so incompetent¡ª¡ªthat''s what her father said, scolding her.

    Your older brother, your older sister... he compared her to her siblings. He tore her report card that showed her overall quite outstanding marks to shreds, and deleted the immature program she made.

    After her father left, Shio desperately endured, trying not to cry as her shoulders trembled.

    Hidden Fuyuki heard her worried voice "I need to do my best", that''s all she said before heading towards the desk. Ever since then, she saw that scene many times.

    The reprimands from her father intensified. Shio tried her best, studying by the desk to live up to her father''s expectations. Doing that every day, she slowly turned haggard.

    And as Shio continued to look worse and worse. Wanting to cheer her up somehow, Fuyuki talked about the results of her own research. As she showed her the program she made, Shio''s expression turned dark.

    Fuyuki desperately thought how to cheer her up¡ª¡ªand what she came up with, was making an entertainment program that would help her get well.

    Shii-chan loves the look of hydrangea, let''s add a comforting fragrance into it as well.

    For Fuyuki who only made practical programs up until then, it was a challenge for her to make one for the first time.

    That was because in ¡ºBird Cage¡» she was only taught techniques maximizing efficiency in programs. There was no place for entertainment elements in the basic knowledge she was taught. She had to learn from scratch.

    I''ve been making a program for Shii-chan, because she was too embarrassed to say that, she lied saying that''s the reason she can''t attend study sessions, and used that time to develop the entertainment program.

    She just wanted her to cheer up.

    However, Fuyuki didn''t notice. Who really cornered Shio, was Fuyuki herself.

    If you get better even better you''ll be free. She believed the words Shio said, and Fuyuki''s talent fully bloomed.

    Even if they begin at different starting lines, if you do your best you''ll be rewarded some day. My strict father will definitely recognize me¡ª¡ªShio kept working hard while believing in that. However, Fuyuki''s presence showed her the cruel reality ''there''s no point in struggling if you don''t have a talent''.

    Negative feelings continued to undermine Shio''s heart little by little, and ironically, it was the program Fuyuki made for her that broke her heart.

    "Shii-chan, Shii-chan! Please look. I''m finally done!"

    That day, with a program she just completed, Fuyuki visited Shio''s study room.

    The girl she didn''t see for four days was waiting in the room from which lights have disappeared. There was a deep despair engraved in her pupils, but there was no way the excited Fuyuki could notice it.

    "...done?"

    "Yes!! Umm, please take this. It''s a present for Shii-chan!"

    Fuyuki projected a pale purple crystal and held it out towards Shio.

    Shio timidly took it and asked for information about the content while looking at it.

    "Since Shii-chan wasn''t looking too good recently. This not only has a visual effect and sense of smell, but also a calming auditory effect. It was my first time making an entertainment program, but somehow I managed to make it!"

    "First time... this...?"

    It was an advanced program Shio couldn''t make even if she stood on her head. In just a few days time, moreover it was her first try¡ª¡ªintense jealousy of her talent raged within Shio.

    And all the emotions that accumulated within her until then exploded.

    "Why did you make such a thing... do you want to show off your talent that much?!"

    Shio cried out and forcefully pushed Fuyuki''s hand away. Because of that hit, the memory card inserted in Fuyuki''s terminal flew away, hit the wall and broke.

    "Hime-chan is always like that! Have you ever thought of how I feel when I see a program Hime-chan made?! How it feels to realize my own incompetence?!"

    With these words, Fuyuki finally realized she has cornered Shio.

    "T-thats not what I... I just wanted for Shii-chan to be more cheerful¡ª¡ª"

    "Who asked you to do that?! ...I was always jealous Hime-chan, what I wanted the most, I couldn''t help but be jealous of Hime-chan''s talent which was recognized by everyone!! Even I, even I want to be praised! Even if just once, I want to be told that I did well!!"

    No matter how hard she tried, no one acknowledged it.

    Even when her results improved, she was only scolded ''why did you improve only this much''.

    In that case¡ª¡ªthere was no meaning in working hard.

    "Aa...uu... Shi... Shii-cha...n..."

    In front of that outburst of emotions, Fuyuki could only be intimidated.

    I need to say something, at this rate she''ll break¡ª¡ªeven though she knew that, it was the first time such negative emotions were directed towards her, and she couldn''t say anything.

    "If I am to feel like this... I wish I never met Hime-chan!"

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª!!"

    Hearing the words that denied all this time they spend together every day up until then, Fuyuki ran away while blocking her ears with her hands.

    She continued to run like crazy and before she noticed, she collapsed on her bed and cried.

    "Help me... someone help me... Onii..."

    No one responded to her heartbreaking cries. She lost her only friend.

    There was no one who could be together with her no longer.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ªThat''s all, the entire past little sister and Shii-chan share."

    The memory playback was finished, and the figure of a young girl collapsing in tears in solitude slowly faded away in front of the three. I must have been painful for her to recall the past as Fuyuki sat down on the coach and deeply exhaled.

    "...what happened to Fuyuki after this?"

    "Nothing. I was too immersed in the study to leave the room, I did everything to forget it. Ever since then, I haven''t met Shii-chan even once."

    Shio never visited Fuyuki''s laboratory, in the first place a young lady of Karasuba family had no contact with researchers from ¡ºBird Cage¡». There was no opportunity for them to meet in person.

    "I see. You said before ¡ºI made an entertainment program before, only once¡» so it was the gift for Shio-chan."

    "Yeah. I remember it''s code even now. I probably won''t ever forget it."

    "...do you regret it? The fact that you didn''t notice how Shio felt?"

    "...I wonder? Whether it''s guilt, or maybe it''s regret... I no longer know it myself."

    Saying so, Fuyuki made a tearful smile. I want to heal it somehow¡ª¡ªthought Taiga, with a fragile smile.

    "Oh, that''s right. Rui-san will go outside for some fresh air."

    With that, Rui suddenly stood up. Taiga said "This is Elysion going outside for fresh air..." and tilted his head. Rui moved her lips to his ears and¡ª¡ª

    "I''ll come back in ten minutes. I leave Fuyuki to you?"

    Leaving these words behind, she left the room.

    "...Rucchan really is a busybody."

    It seemed like Fuyuki knew what her underlying motive was. As Taiga sat down beside her, she put down her head on his shoulder as usual. Because of a flowery aroma coming from her black hair, he felt a bit dreamy.

    "...what should little sister do."

    Her feelings spilled out. There was no need to answer¡ª¡ªthat''s what he felt. He responded while gently stroking Fuyuki''s head.

    "It''s not something I should be telling you. It''s up to what Fuyuki wants to do, that is all. ...and that answer, you already have it, don''t you?"

    Immersed in the pleasant feeling of being gently patted on the head, Fuyuki closed her eyes.

    What she though of, were the days she spent with Shio. The days they had fun together, and the tears she had in her eyes when she last saw her.

    What she wants to do¡ª¡ªshe already knew what, for eight years now.

    Even so, she was scared to meet her, and continued to run away.

    She acknowledged her weakness. And wanted to move forward one step at a time. Let''s move forward. And for the sake of doing that¡ª¡ª

    "I want to apologize to Shi-chan. And I want to get along with her once again."

    First of all, that''s where she''ll start.

    "The fact that little sister was always relying on Brother... I finally realized that."

    "Relying on someone is not a bad thing."

    "That''s true... but, relying on someone and becoming dependent is not. Little sister wants to live with Brother as equals. That''s why, give me courage."

    "...courage?"

    Fuyuki placed her hands on Taiga''s and intertwined her fingers with his. She stared straight at him.

    "Shii-chan comforted little sister when she was crying, it''s time for little sister to pay Shii-chan back. That''s why¡ª¡ªonce again, give me courage to stand in front of Shii-chan."

    Fuyuki said that, closed her eyes and raised her chin.

    Even the super dense Taiga realized what she expected of him. Or rather, there was only one thing that could be done with that posture of hers. Taiga''s vision shook as he hesitated¡ª¡ª

    "...this has to suffice."

    He stopped hesitating, scooped up her hair with one hand and kissed her bare forehead.

    Fuyuki opened her eyes a bit annoyed, she had a dissatisfied expression on her face.

    "...little sister was expecting something more on the lips?"

    "Don''t say nonsense. As if I could do something like that so simply."

    His heart was beating nervously with just kissing her forehead. Her lips were too high of a hurdle¡ª¡ªand if it was with Fuyuki, then all the more.

    "Is this fine?"

    "Yeah. ...well, little sister wonders if it''s really all right for her first kiss to be on a place like that, but will settle for on the forehead for now. But, please don''t forget this."

    She slowly traced Taiga''s lips with her white fingers. Stuck out her tongue, laughed and sweetly bit his neck.

    "Little sister will be the one to take them... so you can''t let other women take them, okay?"

    ¡ª¡ªNow. Let''s go and retrieve what I left behind in the past.

    Part 5

    "...fuu."

    After shooting about twenty arrows into a large tree that was fifty metres away, Shio lowered her bow.

    Shio parted with Taiga, and wanted to log out at first. But she thought of practicing instead, and remained in ¡¶Aries¡·.

    "It''s really easy to aim and hit the target with this bow after all."

    ¡¶Cryoflare¡· was a bow strong enough to allow her to subjugate viruses, but its habits were very strong. Although it would be misleading to say it picked its master, but it seemed to match Shio well.

    I''ll practice a little longer, and surprise Onii-san tomorrow.

    It was fun to see herself grow after committing to it and putting in effort¡ª¡ªit was a feeling she long forgot.

    Young children that don''t know reality could be forgiven for it. But as a person from Karasuba''s main family, results mattered more than the process.

    But it was different in ¡¶Aries¡·. Here she wasn''t ''Karasuba Shio'' but just another girl, she could do whatever she wanted, no one would tell her what to do. She would do it by her own will.

    "Alright, let''s try another twenty times."

    Shio set up the bow to start shooting again.

    She concentrated and didn''t notice the gaze that was staring at her back.

    About fifty metres behind Shio, on a small cliff there was a virtual body that put on a white robe completely covering the entire body¡ª¡ª''Angel'', and Tokuma whose pupils were completely unfocused.

    "Hmm, it seems like he''s not there. It seems like I can carry it out more smoothly than expected. Looks like I am lucky after all."

    Angel looked down on Shio''s figure as she kept shooting arrows and snapped its fingers. Suddenly, Tokuma who was expressionless like a doll opened his eyes widely all at once.

    "Now, Tokuma... there''s the girl who was together with the boy you lost to."

    "...wom...an...."

    "You fought him and lost, he''s the ringleader behind all this. You hate him right? If she''s hurt, I wonder what face would that boy make?"

    His thinking was cloudy as mud, that whisper turned into an absolute ''order'' he had to obey. It no longer mattered who''s the opponent, there was only the grudge in his mind.

    "...pull...tear..."

    "That''s right. You have the program made by me, ¡¶Replicon¡· that raises your specs beyond comparison. And you don''t have the reason to run away any more¡ª¡ªyou can rampage as you please."

    "Aa....gaa...AAAAHHHH!!!!"

    Tokuma howled unlike any normal human ever could, and jumped off the cliff. There were fifty metres of distance to the target in a straight line¡ª¡ªa distance he should never be able to close with a leap, and jumped with abnormal leg power.

    "Eh¡ª¡ª?"

    *gagon*, hearing a strange sound behind her, Shio immediately looks behind.

    The man who was in her line of sight, was the same A-ranked player she saw a few hours earlier in the arena. Tokuma pulled out the whip sword from his waist and swung it down with brute force!

    "HYARAAAAAAaaaaaaa!!"

    "KyaAA?!"

    It was so sudden Shio couldn''t move properly. The jet black whip sword slammed to the right beside her and tore through the earth engraving an over twenty meter long, deep scar. Because of that huge power her body rose up, and then Shio fell to the ground.

    *crnch*... along with the sound of someone stepping on the gravel, a shadow appeared in her field of vision. In front of Shio who looked up tearfully, was the figure of a man brandishing a sword in silence.

    "...y-you are... Tokuma-san? Why did you... suddenly¡ª¡ªauu!!"

    She asked with a trembling voice, the reply to her question was a heartless blow. The whip sword bore through the ground forcefully once again, Shio rolled away blown off by the impact.

    N-need to run¡ª¡ª

    Attacked without reason.

    But what occupied her heart wasn''t the way Tokuma acted.

    Shio was always living while being told off by her family, so she was very sensitive to malice when it was directed toward her. That''s why she knew. Hating to this extent was abnormal.

    That''s why she threw away unnecessary thoughts and only thought about fleeing.

    But in this situation she couldn''t escape that easily. Although Shio tried to run away with her back turned to Tokuma, but again her escape route was cut off by ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡·''s blow.

    I can''t... with an opponent who has such a long range weapon, I''ll be done in for before I manage to run away...

    Shio hid in the back of a tree, immediately after the sword whip continued to randomly hit everything around. The slashes were hitting all around, but they were not even remotely close to hit Shio.

    ...?

    Now that she thought about it, it was strange from the first blow. She saw his skill when he fought with Taiga.

    With an opponent who couldn''t move a single step, why did he continuously swing it at random?

    Maybe he can''t aim properly?

    With him in such an erratic state, it wasn''t impossible. She could disengage if she triggered the move command now. Thinking so, Shio expanded the window¡ª¡ª

    ¡´"Error. This command is currently unavailable."¡µ

    "Eh... why?!"

    The moment she started the move process, a window appeared displaying an error message. Her only means of escape disappeared, in this abnormal situation Shio''s head went blank, confused.

    Impossible. To disable a system command, it was absolutely impossible unless someone used their Master Code¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª!! Kyaaaaaaaaa!!!"

    She dodged the tip of the sword in the nick of time. But the big tree that was acting like a wall was cut in two and disappeared becoming particles of light.

    She couldn''t escape. The obstacle that acted as a shield was no longer there. No matter how insane Tokuma was, his weapon had a total length of twenty metres. Even if he waved it at random, it would hit her.

    There was only one option left, just one. To fight with Tokuma.

    ...alright, let''s try it...

    It''s a game after all, it''s fine to lose¡ª¡ªShio didn''t think like that.

    She finally found the place she can do her best at, no, found the place she belongs to. There''s no way she would give up on it so simply.

    Shio stood up determined, she set up the bow aiming the arrow in front of her.

    She was too inexperienced to know any tricks, so there was no meaning in them. Even though she couldn''t afford to stand still because she would get hit by the whip sword. Shio had no other choice but to hit him with her strongest attack head-on.

    Shio exposed her unprotected form, the sword whip slashed horizontally and vertically, but it only hit the ground around Tokuma. During that opening, the arrow was clad in both red and blue, and its power increased thanks to the two conflicting attributes.

    "Charging complete... gooooooo!!"

    Together with Shio''s yell, the arrow clad in both ice and hell fire was launched.

    The arrow flew in straight line towards its target freezing and burning everything on its path at the same time, it grazed the ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡· and flew past the blade before penetrating Tokuma''s brain.

    It exploded with a roar, both ice and flame spread widely.

    Fully charged blow, and additional bonus for hitting the head. The bodily ability didn''t have much effect on the bow''s ability, if succeeded, the damage to enemy should be severe¡ª¡ªthat is if enemy was normal.

    Her visibility was covered with white smoke that looked like steam, Shio took a deep breath and lowered her bow¡ª¡ªhowever, using that opportunity, a black shadow jumped out from the white smoke.

    She reflexively shot an arrow at the shadow''s head, but its movement didn''t stop.

    "Aguu!?"

    Tokuma''s right hand grasped Shio''s neck, and slammed her into the ground.

    And continued to strangle her like that with enough strength to break her bones.

    There was no concept of suffocation in Elysion, but people still suffered if they couldn''t breathe, that didn''t change in cyber world.

    "Haa...!! aaa..."

    Shio was being held by the neck and couldn''t get up. Tokuma raised ¡¶Cihuac¨®atl¡· which turned back into the shape of a sword and swung it down at her unprotected neck¡ª¡ª

    "¡ª¡ªThat''s enough, Tokuma."

    Together with that voice someone snapped their fingers, the jet black blade stopped. Tokuma''s movement stopped as if he was a mechanical doll with its power cut off, the madness and emotions that dominated his eyes disappeared

    She wondered since when it was there. A white virtual body ''appeared'' beside Tokuma¡ª¡ªand looked down at Shio who couldn''t move, it''s mouth distorted.

    "Nice to meet you, I guess? Karasuba Shio."

    "...who are you?"

    Although it might have seemed that someone came to help her, Shio wasn''t that optimistic.

    An unidentified virtual body that knew her name¡ª¡ªalthough she was still confused and didn''t understand the situation, she somehow squeezed out the words.

    "For the time being I call myself ''Angel'', but call me however you want. Because there''s no meaning in having names after all."

    "...Angel? The one that spreads those strange programs¡ª¡ª"

    "It''s a bit different. I''m just giving people what they need. Like Tokuma here¡ª¡ª¡ªor like you."

    "Me...?"

    She didn''t understand. Why would her name appear there.

    "He, Tokuma was defeated, and to take revenge on Tenryo Taiga who took away his position in Aries he took the power. You too have been deprived of the place your belong to in the past. That''s enough of a reason to desire power."

    "Why do you know that?!"

    After these words, she remembered about the girl who was once her friend. Why would the memory she didn''t share with anyone be known by this mysterious virtual body¡ª¡ª

    "Because I''ve heard it. The story about you two''s past, I was together with those three. Karasuba Fuyuki, no, now she''s Tenryo Fuyuki is she. Don''t you want to take revenge on her? Didn''t you suffer because of her?"

    These words stabbed deep into her, Shio looked below for a moment. The Angel didn''t miss that.

    "It seems like you thought about it before."

    "...it''s true that I always had a grudge against her. But... when I spoke with Onii-san I noticed. Rather than continue that, it''s better to find something more fun to do."

    That''s right.

    If she gave into despair, there was nothing she could obtain. Even if she didn''t have a talent it was fine, she should enjoy herself as she improved.

    Shio finally arrived at that conclusion,

    "¡ª¡ªWhat. So you''re a human only worth that much."

    Angel discarded it with those words.

    "Eh¡ª¡ª?"

    "I thought you were the same kind of human as I am... it seems like I was wrong. You''re a human being much weaker than I am. You don''t even have courage to raise your head, a really worthless human."

    "Wrong! I just¡ª¡ª"

    "To look for something fun to do? There''s no meaning in these words. You will keep your resentment, it will not disappear. That''s just escaping. Nothing can change the past you suffered. Unless you take your revenge, you won''t be able to move forward."

    *pishin*, she heard a sound as if something cracked in her. A slight opening was carved in her heart, Angel''s words seeped into her heart like poison.

    "That''s hateful right? She has everything you lack. Not only talent, she even has a brother who cherishes her."

    "...Onii...-san..."

    A part of her heart was swayed. It felt as if there was no determination, but Angel''s words wiped out those feelings.

    "You admire him, right? His appearance as he faced the adversity. You''re jealous right? Of Fuyuki who has such a wonderful family member. If you win against Tenryo Fuyuki¡ª¡ªyou might be acknowledged by the person you admire?"

    With the last words, a fire in her heart was lit and her emotions ached, they unnaturally expanded. All of her emotions said one thing¡ª¡ªdefeat Tenryo Fuyuki.

    "That''s it¡ª¡ªthe expression I waited for."

    Aiming for the moment her emotions were at the peak, Angel pushed the crystal it had on it hand into Shio. A bluish white pulse ran through her entire body, from Shio''s mouth a soundless scream rose.

    "Now then, I''ve input it perfectly. Whether she withstands is up to her... I have no other candidate. Don''t break down immediately like he did okay?"

    Angel stared at the screaming Shio as if she was an ant, and laughed.

 Volume 2, 5 - Bonds of Hydrangea

    Volume 2, Chapter 5 - Bonds of Hydrangea

    Part 1

    "Nn?...it''s strange after all..."

    "Taiga, you''ve been glaring at the terminal for a while now, what happened?"

    The next day after they heard about Fuyuki''s and Shio''s past, Taiga, wearing his school uniform was visiting ¡¶Paradise¡· to have breakfast. Unfortunately, it was raining today; the rain that poured down quietly caused the air to have an indescribable taste.

    Like she usually did, Rui made the breakfast while wearing the maid outfit, but she was also worried about Taiga who kept fiddling with his terminal, she stopped her hands and inquired about that.

    "Nothing, I tried to contact Shio ever since yesterday, but she didn''t answer at all. I was wondering at what time should I dive today."

    Although he tried both interactive communication and e-mailing her, there was no response at all. Shio wasn''t attending school, and thinking that she slept until this late wasn''t believable. It wasn''t weird for Taiga to worry, though Rui was worried about something else.

    "...just when did you get Shio-chan''s contact address?"

    "When, you ask. Yesterday. We can''t meet in the real world, it would be inconvenient not to know it."

    "...mu¡ª"

    He was right, he was right but¡ª¡ªthat wasn''t interesting at all.

    Rui forgot she was currently in the middle of cooking and stretched her hand towards Taiga''s cheek, she pulled it lightly.

    "...ut ah oo oing?

    "It''s been only a day since you met right? Rui-san thinks it a bit too fast."

    Rui was blatantly unhappy, she repeated the same thing three times, and after pulling a bit harder in the end she let go. Taiga refuted while rubbing his slightly red cheek.

    "Even though you say that... I''ve asked for Rui''s contact info on the day we met as well right?"

    "That''s true, but somehow I''m not convinced..."

    "What''s up with that..."

    Recently, Rui''s mood often turned for the worse like that all of a sudden. Although it usually had something to do with Fuyuki, it seemed like it wasn''t limited to her.

    "I''ve already told you yesterday, a lot happened. It wasn''t long but it was pretty intense, so the distance between us shrunk naturally."

    "...I know that but..."

    Since Rui quickly became close to him in a similar way, she couldn''t deny it.

    "...speaking of which, why is Fuyuki taking a day off? Did her physical ability give out?"

    Only Taiga and Rui were present in Paradise at the moment,the black-haired petite girl that was usually next to them was absent.

    "No, that''s not it. She wanted to recreate the program she gave Shio in the past no matter what. ''This time I won''t run away, in order to get my friend back'' is what she said."

    Using all her abilities, I''ll make an improved version¡ª¡ªafter saying so last night, Fuyuki began to work in the dive room.

    "Is that so. Is that all right? What if she passes out in the room..."

    "When I went to check up on her in the morning, she was sleeping on the floor. I carried her to bed and prepared breakfast. She should be eating it when she wakes up."

    "Eh? Taiga, you can cook?"

    "Well, I just made simple rice balls with just rice and nothing else inside."

    It was a great help that rice cookers were fully automated these days.

    Although he wanted to take a day off together with her, Taiga was absent from the school for 10 days already in just this semester. If he took any more days off, it would impact both his grades and the way teachers view him. That''s why even though he was reluctant, he left for school leaving his exhausted, sleeping little sister behind.

    "...still, that Shio, what happened to her?"

    "...maybe Taiga was too harsh and she decided to ignore you?"

    "Uguu..."

    No, the fact he couldn''t rule out that possibility made him anxious.

    "Is having to listen to someone''s worries annoying after all..?"

    ''...well Rui-san was always listening to Fuyuki''s chatter. I don''t mind it?"

    Although it seemed like she was in a good mood yesterday... but even trifling things could trigger a change of heart for better or worse.

    ...that Karasuba bunch, they really do pointless things.

    Shio wasn''t acknowledged by her family in the past. Although she slowly changed herself, with a single opportunity, she could step back into the darkness again.

    An indescribable unease spread inside Taiga as he started to eat the breakfast Rui made.

    Part 2

    "Uunyaa... bright..."

    A dazzling light entered through the gap in the window blinds, causing Fuyuki to move slightly.

    Even though she tried to escape from the day by going back to sleep, after waking up her consciousness wouldn''t fade away again. Her eyes opened little by little, eventually she shook off the temptation to stay in bed and rose up.

    It seems like it''s morning.

    She opened the blinds using the room''s remote control system. The sun was nearly at the peak, it seemed like it was noon.

    "Eh... umm... why am I on the bed...?"

    Still half asleep, she checked on her memories from last night.

    She remembered programming until dawn, and the moment she completed it all the fatigue surged at the same time. ''Did I walk to bed while unconscious?'' is what she considered, but she found something strange on the side deck.

    "A rice ball...?"

    She looked down from the king size bed, It was definitely a rice ball. It was wrapped to prevent it from drying up, and there was a piece of paper by its side on which was written ''Good job''.

    "...Onii."

    That''s when she noticed, her long black hair was supposed to be in a mess because of work, but it was clean and neat instead.

    "Fufu... he should have said so, I would''ve let him do it anytime."

    Fuyuki tied her hair with a ribbon, preparing her usual twin tails and left the room while stuffing her cheeks with the rice ball.

    There wasn''t enough salt in it, and too much strength was put while shaping it, some parts of it were stiff,

    "...delicious."

    But when she thought her Brother prepared it for her, it was a great treat for her.

    Since she didn''t eat anything since last night, Fuyuki gobbled up three rice balls and checked the time. It was half past eleven.

    Even if I went to school now, I would only make it for specialized course.

    Since it was Monday, there were specialized courses in the afternoon. Honestly speaking, the specialized course she chose with Rui was boring and tedious. There should be no problems if she misses it once. However.

    "...since Little Sister is absent, Brother and Rucchan are eating lunch together just the two of them..."

    Also, they are eating Rui''s homemade boxed lunch with their usual atmosphere like a pair of newlyweds.

    When she thought of that, Fuyuki''s heart was quickly filled with jealousy. The rice ball''s taste disappeared from her mouth and frustration occupied her mind.

    "Let''s go after all. Letting brother be alone with a girl other than Little Sister is unforgivable."

    Honestly, Rucchan was cute. She was incredibly cute.

    She has cheat-level perfect style and an innocent personality¡ª¡ªshe seemed very attractive even from the point of view of other girls. One week ago she announced that she likes her Brother. Although it seems like she didn''t confess yet, she continues to steadily shorten the distance between them.

    Fuyuki quickly decided, returned to her room at a brisk pace and started to change into her school uniform.

    Just when she finished changing and grabbed her bag, she received a e-mail.

    "Aah, even though I''m in a hurry here, who is that from¡ª¡ª...eh?"

    Sender of the e-mail was¡ª¡ªKarasuba Shio.

    Fuyuki read the entire message in a hurry, then read it again for a second time.

    ¡´"To Hime-chan. I have something I want to talk to you about. Can we meet now? I have written the coordinates indicating where you should come. I''ll be waiting."¡µ

    She looked through the briefly written message multiple times. The coordinates indicated it was in ¡¶Aries¡·, but she didn''t know that place. Fuyuki displayed the program she had just completed on the palm of her hand in the form of a bright purple crystal.

    The program''s name was¡ª¡ª¡¶Hydrangea Garden¡·.

    "...this time, I won''t run away."

    She resolved herself, and quietly murmured.

    In her hand, Fuyuki clenched the thing she couldn''t give in the past and rushed to the dive room.

    And after starting the Arclight, her consciousness dissolved in a sea of electrons.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªHer memories were confused.

    In a world covered with silvery snow, Karasuba Shio was patiently waiting for a girl who was once her friend.

    The snow was slowly falling down from the grey sky and piling up on the ground.

    Blocks and pillars of ice were scattered around, although it seemed like the entire landscape was frozen, the temperature she felt was only to an extent of a chill despite wearing a hunter costume. That was probably because of a setting that protected players.

    ...a mysterious sensation.

    A delicate white girl who could be mistaken for a snow spirit looked at the winter sky and exhaled while in a daze. Even the cold air wouldn''t cool down the black emotions swirling in her heart.

    Why did hatred fill her endlessly like that. Even Shio herself didn''t know the source of these emotions. She had no memories from the time she separated from Taiga until this morning.

    She didn''t know where those feelings came from, but it was all the same to her.

    Her body was engulfed with rage, she soaked in a darkness-like abyss and her heart cried out with only a single absolute purpose.

    "¡ª¡ªYou came, Hime-chan."

    "...it''s been a long time, Shii-chan."

    When she looked down again, there, blooming like an elegant flower on the snowy field was a single girl.

    White and black¡ª¡ªthe two girls who met seven years earlier faced each other once again.

    "Long time? Didn''t we meet two days ago?"

    "No, you got it wrong. Only now we have reunited for real."

    "...fuun."

    As the snow kept falling, their gazes intersected.

    The eyes of the girl in a remodelled kimono were different from the other day, a strong will shone in them. Seeing these eyes, Shio ascertained her intent again¡ª¡ªwanting to crush her.

    "Did you resolve yourself?"

    "Yeah. Little Sister won''t run away again. I will properly end what started seven years ago, and become friends with Shii-chan again."

    "............"

    While Fuyuki was saying she''s prepared, Shio reached out to the bow on her back and set it up. Then, after creating an arrow of ice, she immediately released it.

    Cutting through the cold air, the arrow flew past Fuyuki while grazing her cheek and shattered upon striking the ice pillar behind her.

    "Friends...? You left me to my worthless life, and you still say such a thing? That''s pretty selfish of you."

    Words of a complete rejection, but Fuyuki still didn''t pull out even an inch.

    "That''s certainly true. But, I have decided. No matter how troublesome it is or how I am denied, I absolutely won''t give up."

    Just like how she was saved in the past.

    "Hime-chan''s feelings don''t matter here. They''re not related to me."

    Fuyuki had said how she felt from the bottom of her heart. However, it didn''t reach Shio who was dominated by hatred. She aimed another arrow towards Fuyuki and released it.

    "I have only one goal. To get revenge on Hime-chan, because of you I suffered."

    The meaning of her actions were clear. Fight with me, here and now¡ª¡ªthat''s what Shio meant.

    "...no. Little Sister didn''t come here to do something so silly."

    She was responded to with an arrow. Fuyuki dodged the arrow which flew straight towards her head in the nick of time.

    "Silly...? You don''t know how much I suffered, how much pain I went through, don''t talk as if you know!!"

    Her feelings overflowed, she released a heartbreaking cry. Seeing those unnaturally strong emotions, Fuyuki had a bad feeling.

    "Let''s fight. In order to regain the value of my existence, I will surpass Hime-chan."

    Rough waves of deep, strong emotions. Hit by the negative emotions she tasted once already, even though she was scared, Fuyuki continued to look straight at Shio.

    Fuyuki from seven years ago, escaped at this point. Unable to withstand the negative emotions, she abandoned Shio to protect herself.

    "I''m sorry."

    That''s why, she definitely couldn''t withdraw this time.

    "...that so."

    Responding to Fuyuki, Shio narrowed her eyes. A cold spine chilling glare, full of hatred and resentment concentrated on her, Fuyuki''s heart made a creaking noise.

    "Then it can''t be helped. ...I''ll have you fight me, even if I have to use force."

    That moment, Shio moved.

    She quickly created three arrows of ice and released them at the same time. Although Fuyuki dodged to the right Shio continued to shoot, following her.

    "Kuu¡ª¡ªShii-chan! Please stop!"

    She tried to convince her somehow while dodging the arrows, but she got no answer.

    Instead, the rate of fire at which arrows were released increased, and finally Fuyuki was caught.

    "Tsu¡ª¡ª"

    With her feet targeted, Fuyuki''s movement dulled immediately.

    Shio didn''t miss that chance, she released an arrow that pierced through the sky blue eyes¡ª¡ªbefore that happened, the arrow of ice was shattered by a crimson fan. Seeing what Fuyuki had in her hands, Shio''s mouth distorted with satisfaction.

    "You''ve finally drawn your weapon. Then, let''s start."

    "...Shii-chan."

    The moment Shio aimed at her eye, Fuyuki understood. Her friend from the past, has stepped into a region from which she can''t be taken back, she stepped into a place like that and cannot turn back.

    "...so, there''s no other choice but to fight?"

    "That''s right. Otherwise I won''t be satisfied."

    The words of denial she desired, discarded as if cut with a sword. Before Shio''s last word reached her, Fuyuki already resolved herself.

    "I understand. In that case¡ª¡ªI won''t hold back and will take you down."

    She resolved herself, to fight with her.

    With a flap of her remodelled kimono, Tenryo Fuyuki faced Karasuba Shio.

    I feel bad for Shii-chan, but I''m going to finish it with a single blow.

    Fuyuki didn''t have even a speck of doubt of her victory.

    It was obvious. It''s been only two days since Shio started in ¡¶Aries¡·. She was definitely a Rank D. On the other hand, she was a Rank B and had four years of experience. It would be another story if she had specs comparable to Taiga, but it was impossible with those thin limbs.

    Fuyuki calmly started the calculations for the elemental sphere, however, she suddenly felt an unexpected chill.

    Not good¡ª¡ªFuyuki momentarily changed the formula, and shattered two elemental spheres. She sidestepped with wind giving her acceleration from the side.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡¶Replicon¡· initiate."

    The next moment, a flash of light ran through the edge of Fuyuki''s view.

    Because Fuyuki didn''t have an outstanding dynamic vision like Taiga, she couldn''t see at all what was it that approached her at the speed of sound. But the scar gouged in the earth in a straight line indicated it was definitely an attack.

    "...you... dodged it..."

    Fuyuki barely avoided the silvery-white flash. When she looked behind her, there was a spear of ice. The ice spear''s that was stuck in the snowy field was about as thick as a human body.

    No way, did she just shoot that?!

    And at a speed that made it indiscernible.

    Fuyuki was startled, and on the other hand, despite releasing only one shot Shio''s breathing got rough and sweat appeared on her forehead.

    "Next one, let''s go..."

    Seeing Shio prepare another arrow of ice, Fuyuki moved taking an evasive action immediately.

    She didn''t consider defending, in order to stop it she probably would need a chain of three.

    Fuyuki''s attack-configured program ¡¶Elemental Sphere¡·, it''s a small attack-configured that used her own computing power improvising its characteristics, it took her more time to activate as the chain increased.

    The difference between a chain of two and three was a second or less, but that difference could be fatal considering that arrow''s speed.

    Aiming for Fuyuki who tried to escape from the line of fire, Shio readied her arrow. She fixed her breath after her body was assaulted by pain in reaction to ¡¶Replicon¡·''s usage, and shot while holding her breath.

    If Taiga was there, he would have seen it. The arrow Shio released from her hands rapidly expanded and accelerated during this process.

    Even if she deliberately looked at it, it was so fast Fuyuki could only barely see the ice spear, it''s aim was a bit off and it landed at her feet. The powdery snow the ground was covered with danced in the air because of shock, creating a white smokescreen.

    This is bad. She can hit me anywhere with this...!!

    The field of view was blocked by large amounts of snow.

    Taking away the enemy''s vision was a basic tactic. The response to an attack is delayed if you can''t see it. And so, something flashed near the edge of her view.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª!! Triple Spell ¡¶Steam Flare¡·!"

    She immediately smacked three spheres, a red, blue and a white one. A shining white ball appeared in front of Fuyuki, it shrunk greatly and burst open as it was pushed away.

    The shock wave and the ice spear were released at the same time and clashed. The engulfed ice spear shattered. As expected, the shock wave blew away the snow, and the ground was exposed in a circle around the explosion''s location.

    "As expected of you, I guess. I shot that with the intention of deciding this match, but it seems like this much isn''t enough to take Hime-chan down."

    "Shii-chan... just what did you do?!"

    Shio set up the bow while being vigilant, and Fuyuki shouted in confusion.

    It was impossible. She could understand if it was just ''an excellent attack-configured program''.

    But after her vision was blocked, Shio moved to the edge of her view almost instantly.

    Shio''s original physical ability was bad and her rank wasn''t high, she wasn''t supposed to have such leg power

    "There is no way to get that strong in such a short period of time in a legitimate way. Please answer me! What did you dabble in, Shii-chan!"

    The response was another arrow. It was not the ice spear she released before, but its rate of fire was quite fast. Fuyuki took it all down with an armour of wind.

    "That kind of thing doesn''t matter does it? I will defeat Hime-chan, and regain the value of my existence. That is all."

    These were words that came out of her mouth, however Shio was worried about that herself.

    Something is wrong. There was something missing from the inside of her head¡ª¡ªhowever, she didn''t know what it was.

    No, this is alright. I''m not in the wrong.

    Shio threw away her doubts, and aimed the bow towards the sky. A crimson fiery arrow appeared in her hand.

    "Let''s go, Hime-chan!!"

    Along with the yell, an arrow of flame headed towards the sky like a dragon.

    The flame intensified as it increased its altitude, before long it looked like it stopped at a certain height.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡¶Meteor Rain¡·!!!!"

    And it split in the air into dozens of flame bullets which poured down on Fuyuki!

    It''s different from the ice arrows from before... they''re guided missiles!

    Although Fuyuki started running, the flame bullets freely changed their course and chased her.

    She destroyed two white spheres and created a large number of wind blades, the fire bullets detected the blades and swiftly avoided them.

    "Heey, that''s troublesome..."

    While running, she prepared an image to counter the fire arrow. Then she converted it into an improvised program, she fixed the data as three blue spheres and shattered them.

    What manifested was a raging vortex. The wall of water surrounded Fuyuki from all directions and the flame bullets drowned in the water one after another.

    "A return gift!!"

    Fuyuki moved her fan, the water stream changed into the shape of a dozen water serpents and approached Shio with their pointed fangs.

    There was no way to dodge, it was a simultaneous attack from all sides.

    However, Shio moved like a real hunter, and rapidly dodged the water serpent and attacked while continuing to move. As expected she didn''t have room to make a bold move, Fuyuki moved one of the water snakes to protect herself and took down the arrows flying towards her. Shio also looked for a chance to land an arrow on her, but couldn''t find any.

    Really persistent...

    She didn''t know why, but Shio''s stats were equivalent to that of a rank A player''s. And on top of that, her attack-configured program was pretty strong, an average player wouldn''t be able to stand up to her.

    Fuyuki''s fighting style could be described as an artillery-type. She was a typical rear-guard.

    Since she had poor specs even despite the rank correction, there was no way for her to get behind Shio as she couldn''t move in explosive bursts of speed. No other choice, she had to use elemental spheres both offensively, and defensively and rely on her firepower. That was the best tactic in the current situation.

    And in contrast, Shio was a guerilla-type.

    She was a long-range type who took advantage of her mobility to disrupt the enemy attacks, a style of looking for opportunities to attack. Although it was a standard tactic to fight that enemy type, in Shio''s case, she released powerful and bold blows instead.

    They were both in a stalemate and none of them used any tricks¡ª¡ªhowever, the equilibrium collapsed surprisingly soon.

    It was sudden. Shio suddenly held her chest in severe pain..

    "Ha¡ª¡ªaa...ku¡ª¡ª!!"

    *guwan*, Shio''s vision shook all at once. She screamed as her entire body was engulfed in pain, and her consciousness drifted away.

    "Shii-chan?!"

    Agitated by the fact Shio suddenly collapsed, Fuyuki reflexively run towards her.

    But because of that, she didn''t revoke the command given to the water snake, which attacked Shio according to the last instruction it was given.

    "Dam¡ª¡ªavoid it!"

    Immediately after Fuyuki cried out, the water snake swallowed Shio and exploded.

    A large amount of water splashed out and soared into the air, before pouring down in the form of rain.

    Each of the rain droplets didn''t have much power, but if all of them overlapped, they caused an enormous amount of damage.

    It was definitely fatal. Fuyuki showed a pain expression as she worried about Shio, and headed towards her in a hurry. However¡ª¡ª

    "...not yet, the match... is still on!!"

    On the other side of the curtain made of water, there was Shio who had a smile despite the fact there was an expression of anguish on her face. The stamina gauge that appeared above her head¡ª¡ªit had barely decreased at all.

    "Wha...!!"

    A normal player, no, even an A-Ranked player would have his HP reduced to half by that attack.

    No matter how you looked at it, her durability was too high.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡¶Partisan¡·!"

    The next moment, a spear of ice accelerated and penetrated through Fuyuki''s small body.

    Part 3

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª*kin-kon-kan-kon*

    Fourth period, the class for the subject he was worst at, modern Japanese ended. Taiga turned off the electronic textbook and collapsed on the desk, exhausted.

    "Ahh?I''m exhausted?"

    "Taiga is really bad at modern Japanese. Midterm tests are coming soon, is it all right?"

    "...honestly. It''s not all right at all."

    The results for the small test came back today, and he was almost in red. That was the result of his poor performance on top of being absent from school. By the way, since they are siblings, he received Fuyuki''s test results as well, she had full marks even though she was absent for as long as Taiga. He wondered where did this difference come from.

    "Come on, how am I supposed to understand the feelings of the characters. Go ask the author himself for that."

    "Ahaha..."

    They were demanding too much.

    Taiga was good at memorization, but he was bad at other fundamentals. He didn''t have many opportunities to come in contact with books when he was a child, he couldn''t think of something like that. Before, he lived while mainly relying on his intuition.

    "Well, let''s leave it for now. Rather than that, let''s go eat lunch."

    "Ah, yup. But since it''s raining we can''t use the rooftop? Shall we eat in the classroom we are in now?"

    "That''s right... uh, wait a moment."

    There was a call incoming to his terminal. Taiga left Rui in the classroom and moved to another place indifferently, and frowned after seeing the caller''s name.

    "...what is it Haya?"

    ¡´"You seem like your in a bad mood. Do you hate speaking with me face-to-face that much?"¡µ

    "That''s because whenever you call me, it never turns out to be anything good."

    ¡´"I won''t deny that."¡µ

    Haya whom he saw on the screen wore a suit she didn''t look good in, he''s seen her in that ouftit once before. The scenery behind her was not the classroom''s, it seems like she didn''t come to school.

    "Student council president playing hooky?"

    ¡´"It''s called sick leave. If I seriously do this on regular basis, I can avoid having people pry in my matters at times like these."¡µ

    It''s not being serious, its pretend. Is what he thought but didn''t say.

    "So, did something happen?"

    ¡´"Oh, right. About Angel, because there was something that worried me I performed a scan on all virtual bodies in ¡¶Aries¡· when I had some spare time from research and I located two strange reactions."¡µ

    "Strange reactions?"

    ¡´"Yeah. On top of that, they didn''t log out ever since last night. Well, that in itself isn''t so rare, but with this timing it got me worried. One of them ceased to exist in the morning so I recovered its distributed data. And then, well, it seems like the structure of the virtual body itself changed."¡µ

    "...make it a bit easier to understand."

    He wanted her to finally take into consideration who it is she''s talking with.

    ¡´"In a nutshell, the virtual body was remodelled. No, to be exact it''s more like it was compressed rather than remodeled. The density of the data making up the virtual body was abnormally high."¡µ

    The virtual body was also made of data. Of course it was possible to interfere with it.

    However, since virtual bodies could affect the human body in reality, the security was top class. It shouldn''t be that easy to interfere with it.

    "And what does higher density mean?"

    ¡´"They get incredibly strong. The virtual body itself is enhanced, and not only the athletic abilities but also reflexes improve. In exchange for hellish pain."¡µ

    "Pain? Doesn''t Elysion block the pain?"

    ¡´"There''s a rule that says it only applies to normal virtual bodies. It''s different when it''s modified. There''s no need to protect a guy who''s using an illegal one. And so, that compression process, it should feel like your body was being crushed into one thousandth of its size."¡µ

    "That... sounds painful."

    Just by imagining Haya''s example covered him with goosebumps, Taiga pulled his cheek to feel the pain.

    From what I''ve heard, it seems like an atrocious program similar to ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡·

    Although both hacked into the virtual body, that program was messing with the virtual body''s configuration itself. In contrast to it, the program Fuyuki made for Taiga, ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡· simply disabled all the extra features.

    In the first place the ''structural ability compensation'' was unnecessary for Taiga and instead became an obstacle when it came to tuning his virtual body, of course they were different.

    ¡´"I''m telling that to you because it seems related to Angel. Well then, continue the investigation."¡µ

    "Hey hey..."

    She ended the call before Taiga could reply properly. It''s not time to do that now, is what he wanted to say to her.

    "...I want to become a person who can say ''no."

    "I think that''s impossible."

    The words he said without thinking were denied from behind him. Behind him was Rui who couldn''t stand waiting, and came closer to him with a smile.

    "That''s because Taiga is too kind, and one way or another he ends up getting pulled in."

    "I''m aware of that so you don''t have to tell me... nn? Was that an e-mail?"

    He opened the window thinking it''s Haya again. But, instead ¡¶Unknown¡· was written on the field of the sender''s name.

    At first Taiga put on a puzzled expression.

    First of all, he could count out all the people who knew his contact information on the fingers of both hands, he didn''t remember advertising his mail address anywhere. This kind of mail shouldn''t have arrived.

    "¡¶Unknown¡·? It looks like it contains a video file."

    Rui was looking into it from the side, she tilted her head after seeing the mail.

    Hesitatingly, Taiga started the video from the file by touching it. After it started he saw something like white powder flying around, the video quality was far from perfect.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªAnd there, Fuyuki fought with Shio, the entire thing was captured with details.

    "...what''s...this?"

    Fuyuki wearing a remodelled kimono manipulated a water snake, Shio who was wearing a hunter costume released arrows of fire and ice while moving around¡ª¡ªit was a sight completely different from what he envisioned, Taiga was dumbfounded.

    "It was taken... twenty seconds ago?! This is pretty much real time!"

    The video cut off as the spear of ice Shio released pierced through Fuyuki.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª!!"

    As soon as the playback ended, Taiga started to run. Rui also followed him in a hurry.

    "Taiga, where are you going?!''

    "That''s obvious! I''m going home right now, and go to that place¡ª¡ª!!"

    "Then you won''t make it. It might be all over before you arrive there!"

    Hearing these calm words, Taiga stopped his legs just as he was about to jump from the window.

    Certainly, going home from this place would take time even if he hurried. Since it was noon, there weren''t many linears running, in fact it would delay him even more.

    "It would be faster to use one of the Arclights in here. There''s the information room that''s open during the lunch break, let''s hide there."

    "...no, there''s a better place."

    "Eh?"

    A place where no one enters and there''s no time restrictions, the best place there is.

    He took a deep breath calming down his frustration. It was not the time to take extra detours. He had to calmly arrive at his destination in the shortest time possible.

    "Rui, do you know where''s the location we''ve seen on the video?"

    "It''s probably the deepest part of the snowy field near the central city. We can go there directly since there''s a move point.

    "All right... let''s go!"

    "Ey eyy¡ª¡ªum, where?"

    Taiga started to run at a reduced speed, allowing Rui to catch up and contacted Haya through the terminal.

    ¡´"What is it, Taiga? Maybe you got anything on¡ª¡ª"¡µ

    "We''ll talk about that later! If I remember well you had an Arclight in your classroom right!"

    ¡´"What''s up all of a sudden? ...I have two in there. They''re my personal belongings."¡µ

    "I''m borrowing them for a moment!"

    "Ha?! Wait a moment, that''s my important collection¡ª¡ª"

    Although it seemed like she was saying something, Taiga ended the call already. They entered the unused school building and ran to the unused classroom in its very back.

    "It should be somewhere here... there they are!"

    "Woaa? This is Namisagi''s unique model!! It''s an incredibly rare Arclight! Why is there such a thing here?"

    "As long as we can hide, anything is fine!"

    Taiga linked his terminal with the headgear that had a characteristic shape and leaned his back deeply on the sofa. Rui sat down next to Taiga, and after setting the coordinates the two of them closed their eyes at the same time.

    ""¡ª¡ªDive Start!""

    They felt dizzy for a moment. Their mind and body structure turned into data, and faded as it was being incorporated into a virtual body.

    After they opened their eyes again, they were outside, on a silvery white field with snow falling down. In the centre, they could see a black and a white girl.

    "Fuyuki!!"

    Taiga started running towards where Fuyuki was kneeling with an ice spear piercing through her. But suddenly he heard the sound of someone snapping his fingers and smashed his head into a space that should have nothing in it.

    "Ouchh... what''s this?!"

    When he reached out, he felt his fingers touch something hard. Some kind of invisible wall was spread around, it didn''t budge at all when he pressed on it.

    "Taiga, what is it?"

    "I can''t go any further! What''s up with this?!"

    An invisible wall seemed to be stretched and the two couldn''t get any closer to Fuyuki. Taiga pulled out the nodachi, attempting to break through by force.

    "¡ª¡ªThat won''t work. There is no way you guys could break this wall."

    They heard a voice from above.

    Taiga directed the tip of his sword towards where the voice came from.

    About ten metres away there were huge icicles, on top of them was a virtual body that wore a white cloak which covered it completely from head to toes.

    "...who are you bastard?"

    "Oh right. If I said I''m the existence you are looking for, would you understand?"

    Thinking his roundabout words were just evading, Taiga''s frowned. He lowered his body and put a hand on the nodachi''s hilt.

    "...hurry up and answer. If not, I''ll cut your head off."

    "Scary scary. What, having to introduce myself the same way three times in such a short period of time is troublesome. I already did it in a roundabout manner. ¡ª¡ªPlease call me ''Angel'' for the time being. If it''s you, you should know me right? Tenryo Taiga."

    Taiga was surprised that he smoothly accepted the fact his name was known. He probably instinctively knew it already.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªThat this guy, was Tenryo Taiga''s enemy.

    "Is this wall your doing?"

    "That''s right. I would be troubled if you interfered with this fight. You should remain as bystanders at least until this fight is settled."

    As Angel and Taiga glared at each other, explosions resounded throughout the field of snow.

    The flame bullet divided in the sky and poured down on the ground like a meteor shower. Fuyuki whose HP was already down to half intercepted them with a variety of elemental spheres.

    "Taiga, I think this wall was made with use of ¡¶Master Code¡·. It can''t be destroyed from the outside."

    "...is that so."

    Rui whispered that to him after examining the wall. It seemed like communication was cut off as well, there was no response when he called Fuyuki''s terminal.

    "You get it now, right? The fact you can''t do anything."

    Reluctantly Taiga took his hand off the nodachi''s hilt and glared at Angel whose mouth distorted. There was no way he heard that.

    "Let me ask you one thing. You, what did you do to Shio?"

    "By what, you mean?"

    "Don''t play dumb. Shio''s movement is not normal. I can tell, you modified her virtual body... that''s what I want to hear about. Why is Shio fighting Fuyuki? There were better ways to resolve this."

    "I wonder. Your words are irresponsible and don''t have any value. She changed her feelings on her own. No, she was hiding her real feelings. That''s why¡ª¡ªI just pushed her back a little."

    "...pushed her back?"

    "I didn''t do much. I just erased some of the emotions that disturbed her, like kindness, or compassion."

    "Wha...?!!"

    Erased her emotions¡ª¡ªhearing Angel say it so simply, Taiga and Rui were at a loss for words. Anger immediately welled up in them.

    "You bastard, do you even understand what you did?!"

    "I just pulled out the true feelings that were inside of her. Karasuba Shio definitely held a grudge against Tenryo Fuyuki, her feelings of wanting to be acknowledged by someone. I just lent her a hand."

    "You''re wrong! Certainly they may be her true feelings. But that''s not all! She definitely had feelings of wanting to be friends with Fuyuki too! That''s also a part Karasuba Shio consists of! What you bastard did, is just brainwashing!"

    "That''s just a different point of view."

    The Angel looked down on him, and Taiga who looked up at Angel.

    Neither of them would back down on their thoughts, they realized that immediately from the look in the other''s eyes.

    "I have no intention of arguing with you in the first place. Anyway, you can only watch until it''s settled between those two¡ª¡ªright?"

    He didn''t like it, but it was just as Angel said.

    Regardless of what form it takes, these two decided to face each other again. That means the rest is a problem of Tenryo Fuyuki and Karasuba Shio. It wasn''t something Taiga should step into.

    "...Taiga."

    "...I know. Let''s leave Shio to Fuyuki. She resolved herself to stand in front of Shio."

    He slowly told that to himself. He suppressed the frustration coming from the fact that he couldn''t do anything, and glared at Angel again.

    "Do you have anything else to say?"

    "Yeah... just so you know. If you dare to interfere with these two again¡ª¡ªI''ll cut off your arms, legs and your head, I''ll cut you all apart."

    What Angel felt, was intimidation that felt like it crushed its body.

    It was a thirst for blood any human with decent sensitivity could feel, Angel unconsciously stepped back.

    Taiga returned his gaze to the girls who continued to fight.

    "...do your best, Fuyuki."

    He murmured the words that couldn''t reach, as his sky blue eyes watched over the battlefield.

    Part 4

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡¶Steam Flare¡·!"

    Numerous flaming bullets poured down like meteorites, Fuyuki blew all of them away with a steam explosion.

    She invoked another image from her head immediately, and right after she destroyed a single sphere with a dance-like motion.

    A lump of earth emerged from the ground in the shape of a hand and received the rotating spear.

    Although the arrow was strong enough to penetrate through the mass of soil, it lost its momentum before it hit Fuyuki and faded away together with the lump of earth.

    "Haa... haa..."

    After continuously using elemental sphere, Fuyuki started to breathe roughly.

    The amount of elemental spheres she generated was already beyond fifty. Although Fuyuki had an enormous computing power far beyond normal people, she was starting to see her limits.

    "Haa... aa...guu..."

    However, her opponent, Shio was pushed even further.

    During the intense battle her body was hit by the pain from ¡¶Replicon¡· and she used bold moves like ¡¶Meteor Rain¡· or ¡¶Partisan¡·¡ª¡ªShio was already at her limit.

    She''s already been hit by elemental sphere many times, and now just fought by relying on her exceptional durability. The fight was leaning in favor of Fuyuki.

    "Let''s stop this already, Shii-chan... if you continue at this rate you will..."

    "Not...yet... the match isn''t over yet...."

    It was clear as a day who will be the one to use up all their energy first. Even Shio herself knew that.

    Even so, Shio set up the bow.

    I... why am I so desperate?

    As the battle continued, Shio questioned herself.

    The burning hatred that occupied her mind was already receding. Her heart and mind regained enough composure to wonder what was that fiery passion that occupied her body.

    Nevertheless, she didn''t stop fighting.

    Yeah, I see now. I¡ª¡ª

    Any chance was good. Any reason was good.

    She just wanted someone she could push her feelings on, she wanted someone to be with her.

    Just¡ª¡ªto have someone praise her, she would be happy with that.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ªCryoflare!!!!!"

    "Square Spell¡ª¡ª¡ª¡¶L?vateinn¡·!!!!!!"

    An arrow clad in both ice and flame clashed with a gigantic flaming sword, the swirling heat and cold gouged the earth all around.

    They struggled for a moment, there was just a slight difference in power, but the flame sword broke through the arrow of ice and flame.

    The raging crimson flame swallowed Shio and started running amok. At that moment the pain from ¡¶Replicon¡· engulfed her entire body, and Shio fell to the ground.

    I can''t... win...

    What she saw as her field of view flashed, was the appearance of Fuyuki standing gracefully among the fire and ice.

    She''s so cool...

    What she always longed for. What she''s been always jealous of.

    She was jealous of the girl who easily stepped into an area she couldn''t reach, she was always proud of having her as a friend¡ª¡ªshe always wanted to go over there, even dreamt of it.

    Just one thing, she just wanted to have her friend by her side forever, she wanted to be acknowledged, and in the end she ended up frustrated and alone.

    She shook off the pain and stood up and she chanted once again.

    "... ¡¶Replicon¡· Initiate."

    The forbidden spell.

    Next moment, Shio was hit by a severe pain incomparable to the one she felt at first. Her vision lost colours, her sense of touch went wrong. Although she screamed loud enough to tear her eardrums, her hearing didn''t recognize it.

    Cells throughout her entire body creaked. Not allowing her consciousness to fade, pain crawled through her entire body.

    Despite that, Shio readied her bow.

    "Why... is it... why does Shii-chan go this far...?"

    Despite everything being covered with noise, for some reason Shio heard it clearly, and relied on her voice to aim. She could barely see anything with her eyes already.

    She was about to pass out because of the severe pain anytime now but she endured it, and slowly pulled an arrow with a shaking hand.

    A pale fire and cold air continued to converge rapidly, and the bow began to crackle.

    "Why is it... I have always admired Hime-chan. I kept chasing after Hime-chan''s back... but, I didn''t have talent."

    That''s why she rejected it. One day she will look down on her¡ª¡ªwhen she thought of that, she couldn''t stop any longer. She wouldn''t be acknowledged by her only friend, and would really become a worthless existence.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªWith that she turned into a coward, she couldn''t accept her weak self.

    "I decided to change myself. I decided to change my life of falling deeper down and rotting away! It doesn''t matter whether I win or lose. I need to settle Hime-chan''s and my past. I need to do it, otherwise I won''t be able to move forward even a single step!!!"

    That''s why Karasuba Shio fought.

    It didn''t matter how hard and painful it was.

    In order to break with her past, in order to start living again¡ª¡ªKarasuba Shio bet everything she had, and fought against Tenryo Fuyuki.

    "...Shii-chan."

    As Shio shouted, Fuyuki finally saw the real ''Karasuba Shio''.

    She didn''t change at all. Shio pretended to have forgotten about the bitter past. The one who was supposed to have moved forward before Tenryo Fuyuki, Karasuba Shio has been struggling for seven years and didn''t change in the least.

    ...it looks like Little Sister doesn''t have enough resolve yet.

    Fuyuki started the terminal and extracted a single program from it. A crystal glowed with seven constantly changing colours¡ª¡ªthe program that she created, which broke the wall between fiction and reality, ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡·.

    Shio challenged her while betting all she had.

    In order to reward her for that, in order to change herself, Fuyuki responded by betting everything as well.

    "In order to move forward¡ª¡ªlet''s put an end to the past here."

    The seven-coloured crystal shattered.

    There were slight differences between the virtual and the real body. The last shackle binding the computing power that was called exceptional by one of four major corporates ''Karasuba'' was destroyed.

    "...dance."

    Fuyuki held out the fan towards the sky, and tens of white elemental spheres appeared and danced in the sky looking like a blizzard.

    Surrounding them were red, blue, yellow, green and other countless elemental spheres orbited around like a satellite.

    Her thinking circuits screamed as she used parallel processing beyond the limit. Even so, Fuyuki continued to increase the amount of elemental spheres¡ª¡ªand eventually completed a celestial chart decorated with countless stars.

    There was no way to dodge, they had no strength to spare to do that after preparing the blow.

    They put everything they had into this single strike¡ª¡ªand both of them unleashed it at the same time!

    "Unlimited Spell¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    "¡ª¡ª¡ªCRYOFLAREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeee!!!!"

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡¶Stellar Wiper¡·!!!!"

    The arrow clad in absolute zero temperature and an extreme inferno clashed with massive energy amassed by the stars¡ª¡ªand the arrow was crushed in a blink of an eye.

    ...finally¡ª¡ª"

    Shio''s field of view was gradually covered with pure white light.

    I can finally move forward...

    A giant shining star swallowed Shio, and an explosion roared upon the impact. A tremendous shock wave began to destroy the earth.

    The tremors subsided, and snow began to fall again from the winter sky after the everything went silent again.

    "Haa...! Haa...!!"

    It looked like a miserable wilderness with no sign of the snowy field anywhere, Fuyuki proceeded with a wobbly gait. Pain rampaged inside of her head, even walking was hard for her.

    She used a rock that was averted by Stellar Wiper as a handrail, and she walked step after step towards where Shio has collapsed.

    "I can''t... fall over... yet..."

    Fuyuki spat out those words, ordering her own body.

    And¡ª¡ªshe reached.

    "Shii¡ª...chan..."

    "...it''s my utter defeat, Hime-chan."

    Shio collapsed with her back towards the ground, as if what possessed left her, she was looking at the sky with a refreshing expression. The attack-configured program ¡¶Cryoflare¡· shattered, it turned into light and faded away.

    "With this, it''s all over... I wonder, where did we go wrong?"

    "Our relationship was irregular to begin with. Both Little Sister and Shii-chan were lonely, and we overlapped each other. So when it was betrayed, it felt like all of it was denied. Even if it didn''t happen at that time, some day it would have collapsed anyway."

    Fuyuki who lost her family and Shio who wasn''t acknowledged by her family. They only looked for a substitute. A convenient fantastical presence they could push it all on.

    "Is that so... we were destined to end up like this..."

    "¡ª¡ªThat''s wrong."

    Fuyuki denied outright Shio''s words of realization.

    "I won''t acknowledge such destiny. Indeed, we have ended everything just now. However, I have no intention of saying goodbye like this."

    Fuyuki manifested a purple-coloured crystal from her terminal, and held it out towards Shio.

    "What''s...this...?"

    "Although I had to wait for seven years, I can finally pass it to you¡ª¡ª¡¶Activate¡·."

    In response to her instruction, the crystal''s body floated in the air and gave off a dazzling shine.

    Shio closed her eyes because of the glitter.

    What tickled her nostrils in the darkness, was the familiar smell that was always drifting in her room at all times.

    A rain-like damp smell, a delicate fragrance of flowers putting her heart at ease.

    "Ah¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    What entered her eyes, was the sight of Hydrangea spreading in every direction.

    A vast amount of purple flowers bloomed on the desolate land forming a circle around them. There were more than a hundred or two hundreds Hydrangeas, and they covered the snowy land, producing a rich flower garden.

    That was the sight she was supposed to see seven years ago. It was what the young Fuyuki had created for her friend, something she left behind in the past.

    It was what was supposed to connect the two girls, the ¡¶Hydrangea Garden¡·.

    "...I''ve always wanted to apologize to Shii-chan."

    Fuyuki crouched beside Shio and matched her line of sight with hers. The sky-blue eyes were filled with tears, the transparent droplets fell down and hit the Hydrangea one after another.

    "Little Sister didn''t realize that she increased Shii-chan''s suffering. She hurt Shii-chan. If she faced Shii-chan instead of running away to protect herself, Shii-chan wouldn''t have to suffer for so long... I''m really sorry."

    "Hime-chan always encouraged me right... it was me who got jealous and turned myself into a mess. Hime-chan didn''t do anything bad."

    At first it was just a small rip.

    But it gradually expanded as a variety of factors overlapped, and before she noticed it was too late. When it was disconnected once already, she could no longer do anything.

    "The one who really should apologize is me. I couldn''t act honestly, and could only display my feelings and ended this in a form like this... looks like, our relationship was a mistake¡ª¡ª"

    "¡ª¡ªIn that case, let''s start again."

    "...eh?"

    However, that''s not an ''end''.

    "So what if we made a mistake once. Let''s start over again. This time let''s support each other, and become real friends. That''s why¡ª¡ªShii-chan, please be Little Sister''s friend."

    These entire seven years, she was always lonely.

    She gave up on herself, and holed up in a shell.

    That''s why¡ª¡ªas she stretched out her hand, what could be seen in Karasuba Shio''s eyes, were tears of happiness.

    "...are you fine... with me?"

    "No one but Shii-chan will do."

    Slowly, the two girls'' hands overlapped.

    I won''t let go off you again¡ª¡ªFuyuki prayed in her mind and hugged Shio.

    Feeling the warmth of human skin she has forgotten, the presence of a person who requires her, large tears overflowed from Shio''s eyes.

    "Uuu...Uaaa...UWAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...!!"

    The matter that''s been ongoing for seven years, was finally solved.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ªSorry to intrude on your friendship-play, but it''s about time I fulfilled my goal."

    At that time, a voice resounded.

    "Who¡ª¡ªuaa!?"

    It was already too late when she noticed, suddenly a white shadow appeared in front of her eyes, and Fuyuki was literally kicked away before rolling on the ground.

    "Hime-chan!!"

    "Seriously, could you not show me these kinds of pointless things? My mood''s gotten worse because of that. Things like friendship or compassion, I hate them the most."

    While spitting out selfish words, Angel put its hand on Shio''s head who couldn''t move.

    "W-who are you?! Why did you kick Hime-chan¡ª¡ª?!"

    "It seems like your memory was erased properly... don''t worry. I have no use for Tenryo Fuyuki. Her role was only to help this one grow¡ª¡ª ¡ºWake up¡»."

    The moment she heard those words, Shio''s body started to tremble violently. Her eyes lost their light and strength left her limbs, she collapsed to the ground.

    "Shii-chan! Shii-chan!"

    "Now everything is ready... before we begin, let''s get rid of the obsolete tool."

    Fuyuki called out desperately, but Shio didn''t move even an inch.

    After looking down on Shio contently, Angel approached Fuyuki.

    Because of ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡·''s recoil Fuyuki couldn''t move and only glared as Angel''s right hand outstretched towards her head¡ª¡ªand that arm was cut off by a flash of steel.

    "...oh?"

    "I''ve told you... that if you try to interfere I''m going to cut off your limbs!!"

    Angel looked at his severed right arm in amazement, momentarily Taiga broke between the two and rotated his whole body and slashed with his nodachi at Angel''s neck.

    That blow should have easily cut his neck. But the forceful slash from nodachi didn''t hit anything, and only cut air. He instantly looked back, and saw Angel''s figure appear behind Fuyuki.

    "As if I''d let you!!"

    Angel aimed for Fuyuki again, but Rui who was slightly late, hurled a blade towards him.

    It was a perfect attack from a blind spot¡ª¡ªbut Angel''s figure disappeared again, and the blade exploded after striking stone and Hydrangeas.

    "Shit, he disappeared again!"

    "That''s ¡¶Quick Move¡·. A Master Code command."

    "Brother, Rucchan... why are you here?"

    Fuyuki was surprised by this sudden development, they should have been at school at the moment. And she wondered how did they know about this place however, the two couldn''t afford to answer.

    "We''ll talk later. Rather than that, this guy¡ª¡ª"

    "So what will you do about me?"

    He looked towards where the voice came from, Angel was standing on top of an ice pillar. Even though he lost one of his arms, he was smiling without care.

    "However, you really are fast, Tenryo Taiga. I didn''t think you would travel that distance in a matter of seconds. I''m glad I made the preparations."

    Angel had a really surprised tone of voice. His unscathed left hand touched the place where he was cut, and the arm that should have been cut off was restored.

    "...a teleport ability. You sure got some pain in the ass abilities."

    "On the other hand I knew you are the opponent. And I have taken measures accordingly. And yet I lost an arm because I was careless for a moment, even though I knew just how fast you are."

    Again. He talked as if he knew about Taiga beforehand.

    "...what''s your goal?"

    Taiga said those words while releasing a killing intent, but it didn''t disturb Angel''s antics.

    "Whaat, it''s just a little experiment. There''s quite a few conditions. And you guys were considered optimal."

    "Even if we don''t want to take part in the experiment?"

    "We won''t let you get any closer to Fuyuki or Shio-chan."

    Both Taiga and Rui prepared themselves to take their prey. If he moves even a single step they will immediately attack him, but Angel had an undisturbed smile on its face.

    It was obvious.

    "¡ª¡ªUnfortunately, it''s already too late."

    Because he had already did what he had to.

    He snapped his fingers. The sound was transferred through the air and eventually entered Shio''s trembling eardrums, activating what was waiting within her.

    "Shii-chan?!!"

    The two looked back after hearing an extraordinary cry, something that looked like a black liquid oozed out from Shio''s body. The moment it came in contact with that cloudy and muddy liquid which looked like tar, Hydrangeas withered one after another.

    "Wh-what''s that?!"

    The liquid that oozed out of Shio started bubbling and foaming, eventually it converged into a single fixed form.

    Two meters tall, clad in a jet black armour that looked like darkness incarnated. It held a huge hatchet that required two hands to use, and which specialized in cutting enemies apart.

    A creepy black miasma was emitted from its black body as the black knight stood in front of the three.

    "Well then, experiment start¡ª¡ªeat your fill ¡¶Zygote¡·. There''s food in front of you."

    In response to Angel''s voice, the jet black armour rumbled.

    "¡ª¡ª!! Rui, I leave Shio to you!"

    "Okayy!!"

    At the same time as the black knight, both Taiga and Rui jumped.

    Taiga pulled away from the darkness-like substance the black knight emitted, and picked up Fuyuki who couldn''t move even a single step.

    "Brother, behind!!"

    "I know!"

    Taiga felt the presence of the black knight approaching him from behind and jumped to the side with all his might while holding Fuyuki.

    He barely made it. The hatchet slammed into where Fuyuki was lying a moment before, and the bedrock below cracked.

    He did that with just one arm...

    Taiga looked at the crudely cut location with a pained expression on his face.

    Originally, a hatchet was made for cutting apart weeds and branches. Although this one''s size was far from ordinary, it was unheard of to have something like that break the ground.

    The black knight''s movement didn''t stop. He rotated his large body rapidly and tried to cleave Taiga.

    "Tch!!"

    Although Taiga defended with the nodachi, he could only use one hand because he held Fuyuki in the other.

    Even though he managed to parry the incoming blade somehow, because of the superhuman strength behind the blow he was flung about ten metres away.

    The black knight didn''t miss that opportunity and followed up, but that''s when a dozen of blades pierced through him and exploded with a flash.

    "Over here!"

    Rui called from a blind spot that was located behind a rock. They used the chance as the black knight hesitated, and headed to where Shio lied who was breathing heavily.

    "Shii-chan is?!"

    "She''s barely conscious, but she can''t move. She should have been logged out immediately... but it''s been sealed."

    Rui activated the log out process from the terminal, but the window disappeared after displaying an error. It seemed like they aren''t allowed to escape.

    "Damn, it seems like we need to fight that black guy. Fuyuki, hide together with Shio over here. I''ll beat this guy together with Rui."

    "Please wait, Little Sister will too¡ª¡ª"

    "Fuyuki can''t move yet right? Also, someone has to look after Shio-chan."

    "Don''t worry, there''s no way we''ll lose."

    He poked her head lightly, then jumped out together with Rui from behind the rock.

    Even though he was directly hit by a dozen of blades, the black knight was almost uninjured. The two rushed at ¡¶Zygote¡· from the front.

    "Let''s end this quickly! Rui, create a diversion, I''ll peel off that armour of his!"

    "Got it!!"

    The black knight released a creepy roar, and Rui hurled the creation stones. Eight creative stones transformed into blades in mid-air and half of them hit the jet black armour, the other half landed under the knight''s feet. As a result, the enemy''s posture broke down.

    Using that opportunity, Taiga closed the distance. He barely made it and crawled under the black knight before raising his body and cutting upwards with his nodachi!

    "Renjou Sword Technique, seventh form¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡¶Senran¡·!"

    The attack-configured program ¡¶Heavenly Sword¡· was clad in a windstorm, cutting the armour of darkness as if it was made of paper, cutting off the knight''s right arm . Black miasma flowed from the cut''s surface, and part of its armour was shattered.

    That''s when the creative stones under knight''s feet jumped up, and Rui hurled another six at him.

    "Unison Creation¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡¶Brionac¡·!"

    The creative stones released light as they connected and formed a circle from which countless light bullets were released, and it shot the collapsing armour like a machine gun. The black knight was partially destroyed, but the attack wasn''t over yet.

    "Flash, fourth form ¡¶Raijin¡·!!"

    Using the momentum left behind by the seventh form where he raised his sword, Taiga twisted his whole body.

    And then he swung down with his blade wearing a purple lightning, and then after changing the direction he delivered a final blow to the enemy whose armour was destroyed by ¡¶Raijyuji¡·exploded and cut the black knight''s body.

    On top of having its entire body shot with a machine gun, a lightning fast two strikes cut ¡¶Zygote¡· into four pieces, and it rolled on the ground.

    "Despite all that effort, it seems like a pretty fragile doll. Angel."

    Taiga made sure the black knight wasn''t moving before sheathing his nodachi and glared at Angel who was watching over the fight from a high place. However, after seeing his pawn being destroyed, Angel started to clap giving them an applause.

    "...what''s up with your reaction."

    "It''s all right if I give you a honest round of applause right? I already knew you were strong, but to think Saionji Rui was that strong as well. I was right to choose you guys."

    "We already destroyed that knight of yours right? How do you intend to continue your experiment?"

    "Destroyed, huh. ¡ª¡ª¡ªIf you think you won after dismantling it into four pieces, then you are too naive."

    "What?"

    The Angel said so, and then it happened.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ªAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!!!"

    A scream sounded.

    Taiga and Rui looked back, and they saw Shio suffering and wriggling on the ground. And her right arm seemed to be eroded starting from her fingertips, becoming black smoke.

    "Shii-chan, Shii-chan!! Please get a hold of yourself!"

    Fuyuki was calling out to her desperately, however Shio was in severe pain as her body was falling apart, and couldn''t articulate anything.

    In a blink of an eye, the miasma ate her arm up to the elbow and after leaving her body it was sucked into the black knight. It covered the wounds and soon after it took the form of an armoured knight again, it was restored in just a few seconds. No, he stood up looking even more terrifying.

    "Bastard, what did you do?!"

    "It''s not that complicated. I decomposed Karasuba Shio''s virtual body and repaired ¡¶Zygote¡·''s damaged portion, also I just strengthened its armour to accommodate your attacks. Well, she''s feeling pain equal to if her arm was ripped off, I guess?"

    "Just how long do you intend to use Shio!!"

    "Though it''s unfortunate, it doesn''t matter even if her heart is broken and she becomes a cripple. As long as my goal is achieved."

    "That''s... horrible..."

    Hearing how Angel uses people as tools anger boiled inside of him, Taiga unsheathed the nodachi and jumped. However, the black knight stood in his way.

    "Out of my¡ª¡ª"

    "Hee, is that really fine? If it''s destroyed, I will use Karasuba Shio''s virtual body to make it recover you know? Maybe next time her main body disappears?"

    "Guh...!"

    Shio''s suffering and her screams passed through his thoughts and Taiga stopped the nodachi which was heading towards its neck. That moment the black knight swung its hatchet downwards and blew Taiga away in a fancy manner.

    "Taiga!!"

    Rui cried out and ran up to him. Taiga instantly stood up and took a defensive posture, but his health was cut down to nearly 30%.

    "Are you alright?"

    "Yeah¡ª¡ªhe''s coming!"

    The massive armour plunged straight towards them, the two held up their weapons in response.

    "But what do we do?! If we attack it, Shio-chan will...!!"

    "Let''s keep avoiding it for the time being! We absolutely can''t counterattack!!"

    "Ahahahahaha!! I think you know it already, but if Karasuba Shio loses her entire virtual body, she will definitely break! Come on, dance until you hit your limit!"

    Taiga and Rui freely ran around the Hydrangea Garden while avoiding the roaring hatcher that cleaved at them.

    Even though they knew that eventually they''ll be caught, there was no other choice than that.

    They had no choice but to plunge into this hopeless struggle.

    "Brother, Rucchan...!"

    She couldn''t just continue to look at the two avoiding the hatchet, Fuyuki bit her lips. From Shio''s body which lied next to her an arm and a leg were already gone.

    "!!¡ª¡ª¡ªagain...!!"

    Miasma crawled through Shio''s body again. This time it swallowed her ankle and assimilated into ¡¶Zygote¡·, the armour changed into an even more atrocious form, and the black knight''s speed also increased.

    The black knight seemed to be set up so that he''s getting reinforced automatically, he''s already been enhanced several times. Even though the two didn''t attack, Shio''s virtual body was being eaten away at¡ª¡ªand destroyed.

    Because of the repeated ''exploitation'' Shio was breathing with a hoarse voice as she was attacked by severe pain.

    "I need to do something, anything...!!"

    It was the worst situation.

    They couldn''t escape, and they couldn''t even buy time. She needed to do something about that ''exploitation''¡ª¡ª

    ...wait a second. How does it absorb Shii-chan virtual body in the first place...?

    When her thinking circuits finally calmed down, that one question appeared in her head.

    Repairing other programs with data taken from virtual bodies'' structure was possible.

    However, on top of remotely interfering with Shio''s virtual body, there was some kind of trick allowing to manipulate it from a distance. It was far beyond the area of autonomously activated program.

    Is there some kind of circuit that links him and Shii-chan...? But, there''s nothing like that here...

    If there is a circuit, it should have taken a shape inElysion. But no matter how she strained her eyes, she couldn''t find the circuit connecting her with the black knight.

    In that case, there was only one possibility.

    If there''s no circuit then they are connected directly...!!

    Fuyuki immediately hacked into Shio''s terminal, and reflected her virtual body''s structure in a window. If she was right, then it should be there.

    "...got it!"

    She found something that shouldn''t be in Shio''s virtual body, a very, very small virus.

    "He was definitely on the mark by calling it Zygote..."

    In other words, it was a colony-type program.

    It was incorporated into the virtual body data and then fused itself with it, infesting it with a virus. The virus continued to grow little by little inside of Shio''s body, and then escaped from the host when ordered by Angel. Some of them were left behind in her body.

    The leftover infection activated when its body took damage, it uses the virtual body''s structure to rewrite its data and uses it to repair its missing parts.

    If she knows its mechanic, she can create a remedy for it.

    "I need to eliminate all of the Zygotes in Shii-chan''s body...!"

    If she does that, it won''t be able to recover any more and Shio''s virtual body will no longer be erased. Fuyuki immediately hacked into Shio''s virtual body to eliminate the foreign matter¡ª¡ª¡ªand froze.

    ¡´"Search results¡ª¡ª400 matches found."¡µ

    "..................four...hundred...?"

    No matter how she looked at it, there was too much. No, there problem didn''t lie there.

    ¡´"Matches, 457, 471, 484......"¡µ

    In just a second, the number of Zygotes increased more and more.

    There was no point erasing them one after another like this. She won''t return to normal unless she erases all the Zygotes at once. But hacking into a virtual body was incredibly difficult. Moreover, processing five hundred of them at once was an area beyond what human could do.

    "Uuu...uuu...such...such a thing..."

    Tears poured down her cheeks.

    Even though she knew the method to save her, she could only look at her miserably and powerless. She couldn''t save the girl she just became friends with, it was incredibly frustrating.

    The droplet spilled and fell on Shio. Causing her to open her eyes slightly.

    "Hime...chan...? Why...... are you... crying......?"

    "¡ª¡ª¡ªShii-chan?!"

    "Are you... crying again... because you''re lonely...? Yesterday... when we first met... you cried as well..."

    Shio slowly woven the words, but her consciousness was hollow and hey eyes unfocused. Her memories seemed confused and she messed up the sequence of the events.

    "It''s all right. Hime-chan is... amazing, that''s why... everything will be... definitely fine... don''t cry..."

    Shio wiped Fuyuki''s tears with a trembling hand, and closed her eyes again.

    She was supposed to be in severe pain. The fact that she regained consciousness even if for a moment could be called a miracle.

    "...I''ve been... comforted by you again."

    It was the same when they first met.

    She saved her from breaking because of loneliness, and became her first friend.

    This time it''s my turn¡ª¡ªthat''s what she decided when she came here.

    "Though it might be unreasonable and reckless."

    Even though she was so small and weak, she''s been called a genius.

    Then, it didn''t matter how difficult it was. Fearless like usual, she told herself there''s nothing she can''t do and puffed her chest.

    Think. You can only keep thinking, it''s your only weapon.

    All the knowledge she absorbed so far, all the experience she has amassed, she used all the information her ''eye'' has captured before and derived a reasonable and optimal solution.

    If parallel removal of all the viruses via hacking the virtual body was impossible, she had to detach the process itself.

    It was something she couldn''t achieve alone. But she wasn''t alone now. Fuyuki opened the window and appealed to the two people displayed on it.

    "...Brother, Rucchan. Please, lend me your strength. Please save my friend, save Shii-chan."

    Part 5

    Because of a crushing blow from the hatchet, both Taiga and Rui were blown away.

    The black knight''s specs exceeded that of Taiga''s already five or more enhancements ago, after receiving an arm-breaking powerful blow the two rolled on the ground before standing up again.

    "Ahahahaha!! You''ve been focusing on defence for a while now. If you don''t resist just a little bit the experiment won''t be able to proceed!"

    They didn''t have time to listen to Angel''s loud laughter.

    A single blow followed by a storm of violence eliminated all their mental strength, they were barely able to endure it. Both of them were nearly at the limit.

    "As expected, this is hard..."

    "It''s getting stronger and stronger... at this rate it will¡ª¡ª¡ªTaiga, behind you!!"

    Rui saw the hatchet above his head and tossed six creative stones.

    The creative stones connected and transformed into a brilliant silver shield which continued to absorb a jet black wave that was emitted from the black knight.

    "Shit, that attack too... it''s getting pretty bad."

    It was a fight they had no chance of winning, it was just when the two were about to give up. Unexpectedly, a window appeared in front of the two and Fuyuki was projected on the screen.

    ¡´"...Brother, Rucchan."¡µ

    "Fuyuki? What is it?"

    ¡´"Please, lend me your strength. Please save my friend, save Shii-chan."¡µ

    There was a bright light in the sky blue eyes that stare straight at them, Taiga and Rui glanced at each other.

    What are you saying now. Isn''t the answer already decided.

    ""¡ª¡ªOf course!""

    Willpower roused their entire bodies. It didn''t matter how exhausted they were. If she tells them to save her friend, their hearts will flare up again and again.

    "What should we do?"

    ¡´"...please dismantle that black knight. Into as many small parts as possible and in the blink of an eye."¡µ

    "Leave it to us."

    There was no need to hear any more. Taiga closed the window and then he closed his eyes.

    "...I''ll cut him into pieces. Rui, grind him to dust."

    "I got it. Parallel Creation¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    The moment Rui started preparing, Taiga opened his eyes wide and jumped using his full strength and unsheathed the nodachi from its sheath.

    He didn''t think anything, he wasn''t bothered with anything. He optimized himself for the sake of cutting the enemy in front of him.

    ¡´"Activate¡ª¡ª¡ªSynchro Infinity!!¡µ

    For a limited amount of time he freed himself from all shackles.

    It was something only Tenryo Taiga could do, he melded reality and fiction, becoming the fastest and the strongest in the area.

    "?Supersonic¡± third form¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    He put a hand on the hilt, the ¡¶Zygote¡· swung the hatchet at him randomly, but Taiga saw through all its movements and it didn''t even graze him.

    And then aiming at the moment it''s body is exposed, Taiga jumped below it and pulled out the nodachi!

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡¶Amakiri!!!!¡·

    The blade could be seen only for a moment.

    *kachin*, the moment the cool sound of the sword''s collar resounded, the body of black knight gradually broke into a dozen of iron lumps.

    ?Supersonic¡± third form ¡¶Amakiri¡· ¡ª¡ª¡ªIt''s a sword skill specializing in chopping enemies to pieces. Aside from drawing the sword so fast it becomes invisible, it allows you to slash dozens of times in an instant.

    The black knight was chopped into pieces before it could regenerate and the pieces rolled on the ground.

    Taiga retreated from the spot immediately and two large rotating creative stones were thrown in.

    The huge creative stones spread out and rotated changing into a hundred smaller ones. And when Rui gave a signal, they all exploded!

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡¶Explosion¡·!!"

    The blasts overlapped each other and its power increased in a chain reaction.

    Exposed to a hundred or more simultaneous explosions, the body of black knight turned into small, barely visible fragments.

    "Thank you. Brother, Rucchan."

    Fuyuki said her thanks to the two who perfectly executed her reckless request and focused on the window.

    ¡¶Zygote¡· turned into dust.

    With the majority of its body destroyed, the reproduction function fully activated, the factors in Shio''s body who was a host activated¡ª¡ªjust as Fuyuki wished.

    The process for recreating the black knight''s body started, at that moment.

    Only in that moment, the virus factor hidden deep inside the virtual body had to come out to the surface.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ªData elimination process start."

    Fuyuki activated ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡· again and dived into the sea of data

    Like this she reduced the amount of hacking she had to do on the virtual body. However, her work in this area still wasn''t over.

    It has no meaning if she doesn''t eliminate all of the virus at once. She couldn''t erase it one by one, she had to hit all five hundred of them at once, it had to be processed in parallel.

    "Haa¡ª¡ª¡ª Agu¡ª¡ª¡ª!!"

    She was incredibly overloaded. Her brain nerves burned with pain, an alarm bell sounded in Fuyuki''s head¡ª¡ªsaying ''stop it already''.

    "With this, its hundred¡ª¡ªfour hundred more left..."

    In front of her passed huge waves of information. Finding single threads among them was extremely difficult as hundred, then two hundreds appeared at once.

    "Two hundred... three hundred... dzzuu¡ª¡ª...three hundred and fifty¡ª¡ª..."

    Her thinking circuits screamed.

    Enough, I can''t do it any more. If you do any more than this your brain won''t hold out. Her weakness assaulted her from inside.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªShut up. Don''t interfere.

    Are you fine with becoming a cripple? For just one of your friends, are you going to throw everything away?

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªNot just a friend. For an important friend.

    What about your Brother and your other friend? If you break they''ll be sad.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªThat might be. But...

    "¡ª¡ª¡ªIf I run away here, I won''t be able to stand together with those two!!!"

    Her thoughts burst.

    Computing power, her speed of thought went beyond limit and all information poured into her head through the sky-blue eyes. An enormous amount of data that would have made an ordinary person pass out in an instant was forcefully covered by Fuyuki.

    She continued to analyse the torrent of data at an overwhelming speed with her incredible processing power. Not missing a single piece of foreign matter she continued to save them all in parallel.

    "Five hundred... fifty seven... all factors locked on... complete."

    The moment she forcefully subjected all of the virus factors lurking in Shio''s body, an incredibly severe pain hit her consciousness. It felt as if giant insects were rioting in her head.

    "With this¡ª¡ª¡ªit''s all over!!!"

    She used the last command with a trembling hand¡ª¡ªand after triggering the removal, Fuyuki''s vision was dyed black.

    The change was dramatic.

    The black knight that was lying in countless of pieces started shining with a sky-blue colour one after another and faded away not leaving a single piece.

    Seeing hundreds of thousands light pillars rise, Angel had a shocked expression on hit face.

    "It can''t be, my ¡¶Zygote¡· was¡ª¡ª¡ª?!!"

    It didn''t start the program that would allow him to escape, it thoughts didn''t accept this defeat.

    Why did I lose?

    Its regenerating capability, its strengthening capability, and the condition that didn''t allow the enemy to fight back¡ª¡ªthere was not a single factor that would imply it would lose. Then why was it¡ª¡ª?

    "Why don''t I tell you why you lost?"

    "Haa." Angel responded to the voice that was directed towards it, and wondered who was it all of a sudden. There, at a distance where he could be reached with a sword, stood Tenryo Taiga.

    A strong will dwelled in his sky-blue eyes, Angel responded with words of a loser.

    "...if there is such a thing, I want to know what it is for future reference."

    "It''s simple¡ª¡ªit''s because you made enemies out of us. The cause of your defeat, is us. That''s all."

    Taiga declared with a fearless smile on his face.

    Although Angel was taken aback for a moment, it found it amusing and it mouth distorted in a smile.

    "I see, I''ll keep it mind¡ª¡ªI''ll be more vigilant next time."

    In the end, Angel''s body distorted and faded away as if melting into the atmosphere.

    With this, the chain of events that begun with reunion of Tenryo Fuyuki and Karasuba Shio had ended.

 Volume 2, Epilogue - The End, and The Beginning

    Volume 2, Epilogue - The End, and The Beginning

    "Uu?...Uuu?..."

    *sharasharashara*, the glossy black hair shook restlessly.

    Seeing his little sister go back and forth nearby Taiga sighed and said for the fifth time that day.

    "...Fuyuki, calm down a little."

    She took note of what he said and stopped her feet, Fuyuki was wearing a specific remodelled kimono from Aries. However, a moment later she started to do the same thing again, causing Taiga to sigh once again.

    "Haa... there''s still twenty minutes until we''re supposed to meet. Are you going to continue doing that until then?"

    "B-but it''s been a week! You know just how long Little Sister waited for this!"

    "Well I know but¡ª¡ª"

    "Ahaha... it''s pointless to say anything to Fuyuki when she''s like that. She''s been waiting for her contact all this time."

    Hearing Rui''s words he thought ''I guess so'', and was reminded of how Fuyuki acted over the past few days. Whenever she had free time she checked on her terminal, he remembered about her appearance as she confirmed if there was any contact from ''that girl''.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªIt''s been ten days since they defeated ¡¶Zygote¡·.

    When Angel disappeared the blockade was released and the four were able to log out somehow. ¡ª¡ªHowever, neither Fuyuki nor Shio came out of it unscathed.

    What Taiga found when he rushed home, was the appearance of his little sister who was lying on the floor.

    Although he immediately carried her to hospital, because she overused her brain she had to spend three whole days in bed. Fortunately there was no permanent damage or disorders, and now she was as good as new.

    The problem was the other person¡ª¡ªShio.

    Honestly, even though Taiga logged her out, he was still a bit lost.

    That''s because her real body was far away, in the Karasuba''s place. He didn''t know whether she suffered serious consequences or not.

    Even so, there was nothing they could do for her. That''s why, after logging out he asked Haya to collect information through her acquaintances.

    It seems like when he rushed to the hospital¡ª¡ªHaya was already on the move.

    The damage caused to her to her virtual body converted into pain and also damaged her spirit. Especially her limbs which were lost to ¡¶Zygote¡· seemed like they didn''t work.

    I''m going to go through rehabilitation and I''ll be able to move again, it''s all right¡ª¡ªafter they listened to the message from Shio through Haya, the trio was relieved.

    Since then, they had waited for six days. In other words, Shio contacted them yesterday. Because she recovered to some extent she was given a permission to log in, and told them that they''ll meet in ¡¶Aries¡·.

    And thus, the three stood at Aries'' initial point¡ª¡ªand waited for Shio at this golden meadow.

    "Uuu... Brother, how many minutes left?!"

    "Five minutes. If it''s the earnest Shio, she should be arriving about now¡ª¡ª¡ªoh?"

    Immediately after, a light appeared nearby them.

    The pillar of light faded away slowly, and behind it appeared a girl''s figure.

    Silver hair that glittered lightly, thin limbs covered with pure white skin and a hunter costume with a strange amount of exposure. Shio opened her eyes slowly and smiled from ear to ear after finding the trio.

    "Can it be, that I made you wait?"

    "We just came here way too early. Don''t worry about it. ...come on, Fuyuki, go on."

    Even though she''s been eagerly waiting for this, he had to press her back because she was so nervous.

    Although she looked back anxiously for a moment, after seeing Taiga and Rui smile, she went to pick Shio up.

    "Eh, umm... it''s been ten days, Shii-chan."

    "So it was... I''ve heard from Onii-san. To save me Hime-chan overdid it and passed out. Thank you very much."

    "That''s... it''s Little Sister''s fault that you became like that... rather than that, how''s the condition of your body? I''ve heard there was an influence on your limbs."

    "Their movement is still a bit dull, but there''s no problem as far as normal life goes. The doctor said that if I continue the rehabilitation it will be restored completely, there''s no need to worry."

    "Is that so, I''m happy to hear that."

    Fuyuki sighed with relief. Although she already heard it was all right through Haya, it seems like she was still anxious.

    "Yup. I''m already free from Karasuba as well. With this I can finally start my own life."

    "...free from Karasuba? What do you mean¡ª¡ªit can''t be, were you told something by your family?!"

    "Well I was an unneeded child in the first place. My only remaining value lied in the fact I could be married off somewhere. But no one will buy defective goods right? They said, and after that I was told I can live how I want."

    "That''s... what are they thinking Shii-chan is!"

    Anger boiled within Fuyuki as she heard those selfish words. After restraining her for so long, they throw her away now that she''s no longer needed as if she was a disposable object.

    "It might sound awful... but I''m happy with this, that''s what I thought."

    She was always living according to her family''s wishes. She has always desperately tried to live up to their expectations.

    And in it, there was no will of her own.

    "It''s the result of the first choice of my own in my life. I don''t regret becoming friends with Hime-chan again."

    "...Shii-chan."

    The fact that it was a lie, was found out immediately.

    Fuyuki knew just how much Shio wanted to be acknowledged by her family since she watched her from up close. There is no way a long period of ten years can be abandoned that easily.

    "...what do you intend to do from now on?"

    "For the time being I want to challenge many things, and find something I can enjoy. And... umm... for the time being I thought about continuing in ¡¶Aries¡·, umm..."

    They could easily tell the words that would come next.

    That''s why, Fuyuki said with a big smile.

    "¡ª¡ªYes. Let''s do our best from now on, Shii-chan."

    A gentle and warm feeling filled her chest.

    "So with this everything is settled, right?"

    "Indeed. It seems like it was worth meddling in."

    Seeing the two girls finally get along, Taiga immersed himself in an indescribable sense of accomplishment.

    These two should be all right now. No matter what will come next, they won''t be cut apart again¡ª¡ªthat''s how strong the bond they created was.

    "...ah! Speaking of which, Rui-san still didn''t introduce herself to Shio-chan!"

    "Nnn? Ahh... I guess you''re right."

    Taiga had traveled together with Shio, but since Rui had been in charge of Fuyuki she hadn''t had a chance to talk with her. And after that they hadn''t had time for that.

    "Mumumu... Fuyuki''s friend is also Rui-san''s friend. That''s why, I''m going to get along with her too."

    "Ohh. Do your best¡ª"

    He sent off Rui who started to run towards the two, Taiga was left alone and he looked up at the sky.

    The case was settled¡ª¡ªalthough he decided to summarize like that, he didn''t really think that way.

    That was because there were too many unknowns in this incident. And all of them, were leading towards that mysterious virtual body called Angel.

    I''ll be more wary next time¡ª¡ªthat''s what it said. Without a doubt, it wasn''t done yet.

    "Fine. Come if you want. Next time I''ll cut you up."

    He had to settle it with Angel sooner or later. Feeling conviction in his chest, Taiga started to walk slowly.

    Until this matter starts to move again, probably until the not so distant future. He decided to enjoy his normal life in full.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªUnder the distant blue sky, he headed towards a garden of girls with smiles blooming on their faces.

 Volume 2, Afterword

    Volume 2, Afterword

    Long time no see to those who read the first volume, to people who started with the second volume (though I don''t think thats likely) nice to meet you, I''m Kazuma Jouchi.

    How was the second volume of ¡ºElysion Virtual Region¡»? To be able safely release another book makes me really happy.

    Ah, from here on onwards I''m going to include some spoilers.

    That''s why if you want to read the afterword ahead of its place, I recommend you to read the book first.

    This time it''s the story of Tenryo Fuyuki and Karasuba Shio, and how the two girls were connected by friendship again.

    While Taiga is still the protagonist, and Rui-chan keeps them company, this time they only lend a hand.

    They only made an opportunity for the two girls to take a step ahead (although the super popular student council president Haya also had a supporting role, she didn''t have much screen time. Sorry about that).

    Let''s talk about the new character, Karasuba Shio.

    Although I didn''t include it in the book itself, Shio''s setting is that she is one year older than Fuyuki. So even though she calls Taiga ''Onii-san'', she''s an ''Older little sister'' for Fuyuki. In other words Taiga has two little sisters now. Oh, though some of you readers may have noticed already, but I like the little sister characters the most. Little sisters are the best!

    Silver hair, amethyst eyes and an overall cool appearance. Contrasting to that, she held a burning passion inside of her¡ª¡ªthe image her character has ''contradiction'', it''s been even used in the weapon she wielded.

    ...there''s space remaining so I''ll talk about games like in volume one.

    Probably when this book is being released I might be trying out Dark Souls 2, or so I think?. Although I bought a PS4, I''m mainly playing on the PS3 since I''m blessed with a lot of titles for that one. I wonder when Watchdogs will be released?

    Although I''m really interested in FF14, I''m too scared to devote myself to an online game (Already had previous offences) .

    Credits.

    For releasing this book I''m indebted to many people just like for the volume one.

    Takeishi-sama who is in charge of me and gave me a lot of advices, nauribon-sensei who''s drawn cute and beautiful illustrations, bookbinders-sama, editor-in-chief, calibrator-sama, and everyone else who was involved in releasing this book. The greatest thanks of mine for readers who picked up this book again.

    I look forward to seeing you all again.

    Now then, see you next time.

 Volume 3, Prologue - Chance Meeting

    Volume 3, Prologue - Chance Meeting

    That meeting was a miracle.

    It was as if the cold night was biting into her body.

    A girl from a cyber-related company who was participating in a party held in a certain remote city¡ª¡ªKiritou Haya looked up at the night sky and spat out a sigh.

    "...it really is cold."

    Snow slowly fell from the sky and scattered on the ground, lit up by the pale moonlight, the scenery''s beauty was fantastic. ...but it was a cold, winter night. Although she had a cape on top of her thin party dress the wind has robbed her body of heat in no time.

    I need to hurry and go back... well, it''s not like there''s any difference whether I''m there or not.

    Although it was a meeting of the Kiritou Group, she was only twelve years old and served as an ''accessory of the Kiritou Group leader''. There was no value in her being there. In fact, no one noticed that she left the site.

    Even so, unmanned security shouldn''t be careless, should it. Although I can understand wanting to boast about their products to others.

    The organizers of the night''s party was a famous company involved in manufacturing drones. That was why the most advanced drones were deployed around the venue on which the party was held. They must have had a lot of confidence to do such a flashy d¨¦but right before the party.

    She went past the main entrance hall and entered a slightly open area.

    As snow lightly poured down, she cleared her thinking by taking a deep breath several times.

    The mask she hid behind¡ª¡ª''a young lady'' and ''the real Kiritou Haya''. Although she tried to find the boundary between them, it wasn''t working.

    "............haa."

    Sometimes she didn''t know.

    A lifestyle that didn''t allow her to reveal to anyone what she really felt¡ª¡ªjust which one was ''her true self''. Was that mask made from scratch, or maybe it was born from something already existing.

    As she sought to perfectly play her role, the boundary between her ''selves'' started to fade.

    "...what can I say."

    Although she was mocking herself, she knew very well in what state she was in. Even though it was obvious no one was nearby, her tone of voice didn''t go back to normal. She could no longer crudely retort to her own thoughts unless she put her mind to it.

    It felt as if her body and mind were going to separate. She ignored her own will, Kiritou Haya''s personality switches, attracted by the image spreading around her.

    ¡ª¡ªEven if I think about it, it can''t be helped.

    In order to leave the cold scenery she turned on her heel, leaving her white breath behind. And then, she heard a sound from the building in the back.

    "...just now."

    She stopped moving and listened. It wasn''t clear since snow absorbed the sound, but she definitely heard it. It sounded as if someone has dropped something. Haya recalled the map of the party site in her head.

    In the back of the kitchen?

    There was a light meal given at the party site. It wasn''t weird to have people in kitchen... but that sound was too rough, a bit unnatural.

    ...let''s take a look.

    Driven by curiosity, Haya went towards where she heard the sound come from.

    A light crispy sound could be heard as she walked through the snow, she quietly peeked from behind a corner. Then from the kitchen''s widely opened back door, a little shadow came out from inside.

    For a moment she thought Is that a cat? but soon she rejected the idea after she saw the size of the shadow.

    Judging from the height, it seemed like a child? Although she couldn''t see well because it was dark, but it had something stuffed in its bag.

    Could it be a thief? ...I need to report to the security drones.

    Haya opened a window to notify the security. However, her movement was restricted by the pair of eyes of the shadow.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª!"

    At that moment, the shadow poised like a wild beast and dashed¡ª¡ªstraight into Haya.

    "Eh, w-wait¡ª¡ªkyaa?!!"

    It was too sudden for her to do anything, blown away by the shadow Haya rolled over in the snow. Using that as an opportunity, the shadow ran beside her and disappeared in the darkness.

    "T-tthat hurt... w-what was that? ¡ª¡ªEh?"

    As she stood up, she felt her right hand feeling uncomfortable. She checked it fearfully... not there.

    A bracelet she always wears during parties. It was an accessory decorated with small gems, it was gone from her right wrist. She checked around to make sure if it didn''t drop on the ground, but it was nowhere to be found.

    "........................stolen?"

    She muttered that stunned, and immediately started running. Her favourite bracelet was stolen, and it was infuriating. But that wasn''t why she was ran.

    This is bad! How am I going to tell Father I lost it...!

    The one who gave it to her was her father¡ª¡ªKiritou Kouya.

    For a daughter of Kiritou, an existence that had been educated to act like a proper lady, losing such a thing would be a huge scandal. The misconduct couldn''t be recovered no matter the price paid.

    Fortunately, she saw the shadow''s back soon after.

    "Found you...! Stop right now!"

    The thief was quite slow. It was at a speed even Haya could catch up to, even though she was wearing a party dress that forbid her to sprint. Moreover, she was heading towards the main gate around where security drones were deployed at.

    "Great, now... hey, no wayy?!"

    Even if she runs she''ll get caught¡ª¡ªjust when Haya thought so, what entered her vision was an unbelievable scene. She crudely protested against it while changing the way she spoke.

    As the drones detected a suspicious person approaching, the shadow manipulated a window with a practiced hand. Then, as if losing all their power the drones suddenly stopped. Passing by the drones which have turned into immobile figurines, the shadow escaped from the premises.

    *clink*, Haya, who was startled by the metallic sound, panicked and followed her in a hurry.

    She''s hacking in while running?! Is that a joke? There''s no way that''s possible...?!!"

    That was beyond the common sense she knew.

    The newest model of drones should''ve been a difficult target to hack. Moreover, to do it with just the computing power of a terminal and while on the move, it was beyond the region of what a human could do. With that said, that couldn''t be a normal human being.

    In any case, the top priority was to regain the present. After drawing that simple conclusion Haya chased the shadow which fled to the nearby park.

    "Please wait! Give back what you stole!"

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª!"

    As she continued to chase the person running away, irritation continued to build up. It wasn''t the time to do this, she had to hurry and go back to the party site...!

    "Wait... hey¡ª¡ª"

    Haya didn''t even notice her tone of voice turned back to original (normal) as she picked a fist-sized stone in anger. And with a beautiful form she threw it¡ª¡ª

    "I SAID WAIT YOU DAMN FIILTHhhhhhhhhh!!!!"

    Along with an insult befitting a young lady, she threw the stone with her full strength.

    The stone flew in the straight line and... *gosun!*. With a direct hit to the thief''s'' head, a nasty sound rang out. The shadow lost its balance and fell to the ground.

    "Geez, don''t make me overexert myself. I''m taking this back."

    She picked up the accessory which fell to the ground. However, the shadow suddenly raised its body and threw a punch towards Haya.

    "That''s cute."

    But, Haya lightly caught it with the palm of her hand. She grabbed the shadow''s arm and caught it in a hold on the ground. The joints creaked as Haya put some strength into it, the thief cried out.

    "L-let go!"

    "No way I''ll do that. I''ll say it now, I practice aikido. Don''t think you''ll get out of it that easily?."

    "It hurtsss, ouchouch oucchhh¡ª¡ª?!!"

    For about a minute Haya held the thief''s arm with a sadistic smile on her face.

    When signs of resistance were gone, she let go of the arm. In order to see the face of the thief she flipped the hood¡ª¡ªand froze.

    Judging from her physique, it was a child the same age as she was.

    But her face lit up by the moonlight was beautiful beyond Haya''s imagination¡ª¡ªthe term ''outstanding beauty'' appeared in her head.

    Refined and clean features. Her long black-bluish hair tied in a careless manner scattered on top of pure white snow.

    Although it was somewhat wild, no matter who was it, they would describe her as ''a beautiful girl who exudes a fantasy atmosphere''.

    Haya stared at her in daze¡ª¡ª

    *GYURURURU...*

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!!!!"

    A sound came from the girl''s thin body¡ª¡ªto be more specific from her stomach¡ª¡ªtogether with that shameful sound, the girl''s face was dyed red.

    Inside of Haya''s mind who was taken aback, the previous image of a ''fantasy girl'' crumbled audibly.

    That was Kiritou Haya''s and Asumi Aoko''s, the two girls'' worst possible first meeting.

 Volume 3, 1 - Light of Everyday Life

    Volume 3, Chapter 1 - Light of Everyday Life

    Part 1

    It was in the middle of May, a warm day that was a sign of the coming summer. Seeing this refreshing weather, he could understand the opinion of people who said Spring and Autumn are the most pleasant times of the year.

    "That''s perfect, this is the ''troisi¨¨me plus'' [1] busiest time of Student Council; you''re entering aren''t you. You know why?"

    The warmth and cheerful weather from outside didn''t reach the place he was in, an abandoned school building. After school was over, in the school building''s furthest classroom a dignified voice echoed.

    "The busiest time is of course the time around the school festival. Of course there''s the cultural festival committee, but they''re too busy to help either the student council or the teachers. The second busiest time is Shinkansai which is similar to the school festival. Because there are many reckless guys trying to acquire club members for themselves, there are a lot of problems happening. Because of a certain trio that stood out in both cultural-based clubs as well as sport-based clubs, everyone rushed over to inquire about them which resulted in us getting flooded."

    With a tone of voice that revealed that its owner was considerably annoyed, it continued over and over again.

    ...''certain trio'' was accented strongly, there was no way he misheard it.

    "And so, the third time is now. A month after the new term begins, each and every student seems to be in a festive mood, especially the freshmen. I don''t know whether it''s the recoil after the examination war, but there are a lot of people fooling around. Thanks to that, the amount of work we have to do increases."

    The girl stopped moving and brushed away her long black hair behind her ears. Her usually hidden self peeked out, normally it would have caught his line of sight and wouldn''t let it go.

    "Hey, where are you looking. You, don''t you know what''s your standing is now?"

    However, it would not be good to look at the girl at the moment. She nudged the boy''s head with her index finger. Dignity was exuded with every gesture the girl made, he felt a terrible disparity between that and her harsh tone of voice.

    "...just what about this girl is ladylike."

    "Ta?i?ga?. Did you say anything?"

    She picked up his quiet complaint, The fake yamato nadeshiko Kiritou Haya was all smiles. But those smiles of her weren''t reflected in her eyes, making it scary.

    The boy who was sitting on the floor in seiza¡ª¡ªTenryo Taiga let out a small sigh.

    It was Friday''s afternoon, and it was currently the time that Kiritou Academy switched into specialized course lectures.

    To explain why was he sitting in seiza at such a time, we have to go back two weeks into the past.

    Taiga''s little sister, Tenryo Fuyuki and her best friend from the past Karasuba Shio.

    The two girls were reunited and became friends once again two weeks ago. Although there was an unnecessary obstacle that caused complications, they were able to safely repair their past relationship. Because of that case, there was an unexpected lasting effect¡ª¡ªwhich had nothing to do with the case itself.

    "Not only did you used my Arclight without permission, you also broke it... you''re going to accept this punishment aren''t you?"

    What became a huge problem, was him borrowing (practically without permission) two Arclights in order to head to where Fuyuki and Shio were. After defeating ¡¶Zygote¡· and logging out he carelessly dropped it on the floor.

    The Arclights were machines that allowed the human spirit enter the virtual world. Although they were quite durable, they aren''t supposed to be handled so roughly.

    Moreover, the worst thing was the fact that the Arclight Taiga dropped was one of the rare custom-made models prepared by one of the four cyber-related companies, ''Namisagi''.

    On top of being ignorant when it comes to machines, all he had in his head at the time was Fuyuki so he forgot to adjust his strength, which resulted in the Arclight being damaged. And now, after everything was calm down he was being scolded. By the way, the one who told him to sit in seiza was Haya.

    "...I''m sorry for breaking it. I''ll do anything to compensate you."

    "What compensation, come on. Do you know how valuable this Arclight was?"

    "Was it that expensive?"

    "It''s a special made-to-order good. If I were to auction it... well, about a million yen I guess?"

    "Milionn?! Wait, wait a moment. Why did you bring something like that to school!!"

    That number of digits normally doesn''t appear in daily life.

    The Arclight was held in a case before, there was no need to use any key to open it. Anyone could take it and leave with it were they to feel like it. It was too careless.

    "It couldn''t be helped. Were I to keep it in the house it might have been disposed of without my permission."

    "Who would dispose of such a valuable thing?"

    "Kiritou Group leader, Kiritou Kouya."

    "...your Father?"

    "Yes, blood related."

    Haya didn''t even try to hide her look of displeasure, she sat on the couch with a strong momentum and crossed her legs.

    Various things became visible to Taiga who was sitting in seiza, he wondered if she was aware of it. For the time being he averted his gaze.

    "Why would your father throw away your personal belongings? Is it because it''s a product of another of the four major companies?"

    "There''s that but... I''ve told you before didn''t I, about Asumi Aoko."

    "Ahh, you said she was your friend who died last year, right?"

    "It''s Aoko''s memento, this Arclight."

    "...seriously?"

    He was told something so amazing in a frank tone.

    "Two years ago, I was sent two of them as a present celebrating entering this school. Since there were two of them, I gave one to Aoko. Although Aoko was a researcher, she wasn''t getting along with the leaders. After she died, most of her personal belongings were disposed of."

    "That seems... like she was really hated."

    "I guess. The only memento I managed to recover before it was disposed of is this Arclight."

    "So it was that important... I''m sorry."

    Taiga felt really apologetic and bowed deeply. He knew that the problem won''t be resolved by him apologizing, but that''s the only thing he could do.

    After seeing him make a concerned expression as he looked down, Haya put a finger on her lips pondering.

    Of course she didn''t think of whether to forgive him or not¡ª¡ªrather, she thought of how to take advantage of this situation.

    Honestly speaking, she wasn''t all that fond of that Arclight. It was true that it was a keepsake, but the reason she clung to it wasn''t its properties but more like ''because it''s rare''.

    Then what should she have Taiga who was sitting in seiza do... because she was irritated by the amount of work to do, she told him to help with that in an outburst of anger.

    The work in Kiritou is all right, student council''s is¡ª...geez, I have no idea about the school events.

    In her mind, she spat out words unbefitting the Student Council President.

    Shinkansai was over, and the club activities began in earnest. The student Council was pretty busy.

    Although she didn''t want to do it, Haya as the student council president was required to make the final decision and look through almost all of the projects. There were a ton of them.

    If there were at least one more person in charge of filling the documents¡ª¡ª

    "...ah, there is."

    Of course there is one. Someone whom she could use as she pleases (in a psychological sense), moreover this someone who feels like he owes her a lot was right in front of her.

    "Hey Taiga, you know about the work you were helping out with until the last week right?"

    "The one you made me do in exchange for helping us contact Shio..."

    "Then that''s perfect. Starting from next Thursday help me out again. If you do that, I''ll forget about the matter of the Arclight."

    "...it''s all right with just that?"

    It was an unexpectedly good turn of events for him. As he asked about it, Haya shook her hands while saying "I don''t mind.". Well, if she says so then he won''t complain about it.

    "Even so, what''s happening next week... ah, the midterms are over aren''t they."

    "That''s right."

    It was nearly halfway through the semester. No different from all other educational institutions, Kiritou Academy had the first hurdle for the students, three days of mid-term exam. Knowing about routine testing ever since admission, Taiga continued to study diligently every day.

    "Speaking of the tests, are you all right? It would be a troublesome matter for me were you to be in the red."

    "Troublesome?"

    Even if he was to be in the red, that was Taiga''s own problem. It should have nothing to do with Haya. When he thought like that...

    "If a student of the cyber department is in the red, all teachers in charge of specialized courses are contacted. The teacher in charge is called and said to come directly."

    "That means, if I fail..."

    "The fact that ¡¶Configuration of virtual personality¡· is a fictional lecture will be revealed."

    The specialized course called ¡¶Configuration of virtual personality¡· they were officially registered with didn''t really exist. The teacher in charge ''Takiha Yori'' was just an anagram of ''Kirito Haya'', it was a fictional lecture Haya prepared.

    "Means we''ll get punished if it''s found out."

    "Of course. ¡ª¡ªIora, come out."

    As Haya called out, a fairy-like small girl in a blue outfit appeared in mid-air¡ª¡ªAI?Iolite. It was a personality made by Haya''s program.

    ¡´"Called me, damn it?"¡µ

    "If I''m not wrong, the first years were supposed to have a small test yesterday. How were Taiga''s results?"

    ¡´"Yesterday...? Was there supposed to be a small test yesterday?"¡µ

    As Haya questioned her, Iora tilted her neck cutely. She closed her eyes to explore her memory, she didn''t seem to find it.

    "There was one, hey... I told you that yesterday. How can you forget it despite being an AI?"

    ¡´"Grr... O-oh, I''ve entered the damn database."¡µ

    ...?

    Haya frowned wondering.

    Iora had no functions that would allow her to forget any data. That''s why ''forget'' was used as a joke... she wondered if some kind of bug had occur.

    Need to take note of it.

    She moved the doubt to the corner of her mind leaving it for later and asked again.

    ¡´"Want me to be honest?"¡µ

    "...considering your figure of speech, it must be terrible."

    ¡´"The bad parts are really horrible, the good parts are really amazing. It''s an unusually extreme academic ability. The memorization-based subjects are perfect, in exchange both classical and modern language are fucking below the red line."¡µ

    "What''s that. Does someone like that really exist?"

    ¡´"Honestly I''m lost, I don''t know whether I should call him an idiot or moron."¡µ

    "Aren''t both of them the same? Hey, so you thought of me like that Iora!?"

    ¡´"Ops. Slip of the tongue."¡µ

    Iora revealed an evil smile just like that of her Master (just a little bit less sharp). Why does she have to resemble her in this kind of manner.

    "Well, let''s leave how Taiga''s head works aside... how are the midterms going to look at this rate."

    ¡´"It''s almost certain he''s going to fail."¡µ

    "Not good... there''s only three days left until the test. He won''t make it."

    "No, I''ve been studying lately instead of entering Elysion."

    "Someone like you who has no foundation whatsoever can''t study alone. And Iora who took upon herself the role of your teacher is quite ignorant of feelings, unable to do neither classic nor modern language... can''t be helped."

    Haya let out a small sigh as if giving up. And¡ª¡ª

    "This Sunday, I''ll be coming to your house to help you study. Prepare yourself."

    "...ha?"

    To this sudden declaration, Taiga responded with a dumb expression.

    Part 2

    "...then Onii-san won''t be coming on for a while?"

    "That''s right. Geez, what is he gonna do about the school exams."

    A girl''s voice resounded in a blue glittering cave that couldn''t exist in reality.

    The voice echoed again and again as it hit the walls made out of crystal clear ore and was twisted so much that it came back as if it was a wild animal''s voice.

    After a chorus of ten or twenty voices calmed down, a girl with chestnut brown hair took a step forward.

    "Hey, it''s about time to stop talking! Prepare yourself, you two!"

    Between her five fingers she held characteristic pebbles, ¡¶Creative Stones¡·. A girl in white coat, Saionji Rui dropped her waist lower in preparation for the swarm of enemies incoming. Ready anytime, that''s what the posture seemed to relay.

    "They finally come out. They had us walking for quite a while."

    "...we were walking for only about five minutes, Hime-chan."

    Seeing Rui''s movement in front of them, the two also prepared their weapons.

    With long and glossy black hair reaching her waist, a girl in a remodelled kimono decorated with black and red colours¡ª¡ªTenryo Fuyuki.

    And with faintly shining silver hair, a girl in a hunter costume in the image of elves¡ª¡ªKarasuba Shio.

    They were armed with a red folding fan and a bow, they deployed them in order to cover Rui and looked ahead towards the back of the cave.

    "Umm, while Rui-chan is attracting enemies, Hime-chan and I are supposed to attack right?"

    "Yep yep. Fuyuki will attack from range, and Shio-chan will aim her tracking bullets just like a sniper. ¡ª¡ªLet''s go!"

    Eventually about a pack of wolves numbering over thirty appeared from the darkness, they all had transparent bodies.

    "Crystal wolves. They are the weakest among the monsters in here, but since the two of you have a weak defence, don''t go in front. Especially Shio-chan!"

    "I know, Little Sister''s defence is very low."

    Rui jumped in front with a strong momentum, the wolves raised a howl.

    As the pack of wolves spread to the full width of the cave, the thrown Creative Stones changed into blades, and just a moment after that arrows of flame were released.

    The blades which landed under the wolves exploded with a flash blowing them into pieces.

    And the flame arrow divided into an infinite number of smaller ones while in the air, and after homing in on the quickly-moving wolves shot them down one after another.

    "YAAAAAAAAAaaaa!"

    After they were herded together, Rui threw blades in there. Threatening the enemy with a medium-ranged attack to bring them in to close range¡ª¡ªthat was Rui''s basic tactic.

    The enemy ranks were destroyed completely, however half of them that stayed in the back and were unaffected by Rui''s attack, bared their fangs and attacked with vigour. The completely neglected other half turned their sharp fangs towards Fuyuki and Shio who were staying in the back.

    They completely ignored Rui''s movements, Fuyuki sighed lightly.

    "Seriously... first you tell us not to get in front, and then you go leaving the half to us. Aren''t you contradicting yourself?"

    "That''s quite responsible of Rui-chan, isn''t it... what do we do?"

    "Little Sister will stop them from moving, Shii-chan will deal the finishing blow."

    "Yup, got it."

    Neither Fuyuki nor Shio were panicking, they calmly prepared to intercept the wolves.

    Right before they could be devoured by the wolves, Fuyuki destroyed four Elemental Spheres. Two blue and two white ones right after they appeared.

    "Square Spell¡ª¡ª¡¶Cocytus¡·"

    In response to her voice command, countless amounts of icicles appeared from the walls, the floor and the ceiling. The scattered pack of wolves were hit by the icicles and frozen in the mid-air.

    "I leave the rest to you."

    "Yup. ¡ª¡ª¡¶Partizan¡·!"

    A huge rotating spear of ice was released in a straight line, or rather it was released piercing through the crystal wolves that were lined up.

    The thick ice spear pierced through the wolves with as much ease as it would have piercing a human body and disappeared in the depths of the cave.

    A secondary world made up of data¡ª¡ªElysion

    A world similar to a mythological utopia, created and maintained with various electronics. It became a necessity people cannot live without these days.

    There was a countless number of structures making up this world, one of them was ¡¶Aries¡·. A virtual space based on a fantasy world. In here Taiga and Fuyuki¡ª¡ªthe Tenryo siblings had their part-time job. Their work was akin to playing a game, they subdued monsters. It was quite good in its own way.

    In the southern part of it, there was an A-ranked difficulty dungeon named ''Crystal Cave''. Inside of it, there were Fuyuki, Rui and Shio.

    "Oh¡ªho¡ª, it seems you cleared them up over here as well."

    "...why are you going ''Oh¡ªho¡ª'' now."

    Fuyuki was clearly annoyed and hit her best friend who laughed optimistically.

    "Brother isn''t here, Rucchan''s the only vanguard you know? It''ll be troubling if you don''t do it more seriously."

    "I know that. Isn''t our current goal a rank up & special training for Shio-chan? That''s why it would be troubling unless she fought as well. Am I wrong?"

    "...you''re not. But please say a few words in advance next time."

    Certainly, they were hunting in order to earn Shio a rank-up, if it''s a group with both Fuyuki and Rui it could be done. However, if it''s the player''s skill then the player herself has to take part as well.

    "I''m sorry you two. Helping me to rank-up..."

    "It''s fine it''s fine. Since Taiga isn''t here any way, we can''t hunt anything down, so we have nothing to do!"

    "You''re really honest. But you''re right."

    "...but the two of you are in the same school as Onii-san aren''t you? Is it fine for you not to study for the test?"

    Both Fuyuki and Rui were also first years in Kiritou Academy Cyber Department. Of course, they had the same test in three days.

    Although Shio never attended school, she knew that tests were an important event in school life.

    "Little Sister and Rucchan study regularly. We won''t do something as pathetic as studying right before the test."

    "It seemed like there were thorns in the way you said that?"

    "Of course. Just when Shii-chan came back safely and we should be able to play together, the four of us, that brother..."

    "Well well, it''s going to be his first periodic exam so let him do his best. Wasn''t he studying in his room every day after school?"

    "Because of that, the amount of time we can flirt together was reduced!"

    "Ah, so that''s the reason for your grumpy mood?"

    Learning about her super selfish reason, both Rui and Shio were unconsciously astounded. Well, they knew that Fuyuki was a bro-con for years, so it wasn''t all that surprising.

    "...but wouldn''t he be happy if Hime-chan helps him study?"

    "I think Shii-chan is aware of that, but Little Sister is poor at teaching people..."

    "Ah¡ª...that''s right."

    Shio was being taught by Fuyuki before, it couldn''t be called good even as a compliment. Fuyuki was a genius whose thinking circuitry was different from other people. She wasn''t suited to teaching others.

    "Moreover, Brother doesn''t want to rely on his little sister. He''s been working hard until a late hour at night."

    "Lately, he hasn''t been coming to ¡¶Paradise¡· either. Are his meals all right?"

    "For the time being, he''s living on the retort pouch type of food."

    Rui''s parents were running a caf¨¦ named ¡¶Paradise¡·, ever since the siblings moved in a month ago they were eating their meals over there. Every day they ate a meal there in the morning, and went out to eat there every second evening.

    Over the past few days, the siblings didn''t show their faces together in there. It was natural that Rui would be interested.

    "I see¡ª... I''m a bit worried¡ª..."

    "Is studying that difficult?"

    "Only a few people have trouble with it. Certainly, Kiritou Academy''s level and especially the Cyber Department''s level is high, but usually people don''t have any problems with it."

    Although Fuyuki said that, actually about half of the students who start in Cyber Department are busy cramming. If they are in the red, the person in charge of their specialized lecture is called, in the worst case they might get held back immediately.

    However, Fuyuki (top student in her year) and Rui (the runner-up) didn''t have to worry about such things.

    "The test period ends in the second half of the second week, at this rate you should be able to rank-up before then. For now it''s just the three of us."

    "I wanted to show the results of the special training to Onii-san as soon as possible... it can''t be helped."

    "Special training?"

    Hearing the unfamiliar phrase, both Fuyuki and Rui stared at her head questioningly.

    "Ah, yes. Recently I''ve asked Onii-san about how to train my body. I just started but it seems like I''ve become more able at handling the bow."

    "When did that happen? Little Sister hasn''t heard a word about that?"

    "About five o''clock in the morning? I wake up at that hour every day."

    "Grrrrr, so early."

    If it''s five o''clock in the morning, then Taiga would normally be training while Fuyuki of course was still sleeping.

    "Damn Brother, having trysts with Shii-chan behind Little Sister''s back... unforgivable."

    "T-trysts?!"

    If a pair consisting of a man and a woman meet up in secret, that''s certainly a tryst. In this case ''secretly'' was a wrong assumption of Fuyuki''s. Shio was impatient to correct these words.

    "U-umm, Hime-chan! It''s nothing like a tryst! I''m just being taught some tips by Onii-san, nothing else!"

    She hoped it would be passed off as a joke, since their words were dripping with jealousy.

    However, because Shio''s panic button was pushed and she was completely flustered¡ª¡ªit seemed to them as if she really was guilty of something.

    "............"

    With that suspicious reaction, Fuyuki stared daggers into her. Rui threw a warm glance at Fuyuki which said, ''ahh¡ªit''s like that after all'' and ganged up with Fuyuki against Shio.

    "...um, Hime-chan? Your face''s scary?"

    "I''ve wanted to ask about it for a while already, Shii-chan is older than Brother, so why are you calling him ''Onii-san''? Is there any special reason?"

    "A reason..."

    There was none¡ª¡ªthat was the truth. Not knowing that they are twins, she started calling him that knowing that he''s Fuyuki''s older brother.

    But if she said ''there''s nothing'' that would be a lie as well¡ª¡ª

    "...why did you start blushing."

    "Fuee?!"

    As she recalled his sweaty appearance as he was changing and got intoxicated by the heat coming from her heart, her cheeks were grabbed by Fuyuki and pulled.

    "Eres'' othig Hwime-hyan."

    "Listen up. Brother belongs to Little Sister, and Little Sister is Brother''s. I won''t hand him over even to Shii-chan!"

    "...you''re sleeping together every night, isn''t this much fine?"

    In Rui''s murmur there was jealousy mixed in.

    Although Fuyuki was jealous over every little thing, the one who would be spending the most time with Taiga would be her. That would be normal for twin siblings, but they go to the extent of sleeping together.

    In that case, (important point) the one who spends the least time with him would be Rui. Since she also liked Taiga wanting to complain about it was granted.

    "But a special training?. Certainly, Shio-chan''s gotten really good. You don''t miss with the piercing bullets any more. How is it, the new model of ¡¶Cryoflare¡· made by Rui-san?"

    "It''s much easier to use than before. Also, you have added a new type of arrow, I have more ways to fight like this."

    "Well it is an attack-configured program made by Rucchan. The old one might have been a prize for winning a championship in the arena, but this one is a few stages above that."

    The viruses and bugs that appear in this world¡ª¡ªin order to defeat them after they take a form of a monster in ¡¶Aries¡·, an attack-configured program is needed.

    Taiga''s ¡¶Heavenly Sword¡· and Fuyuki''s ¡¶Elemental Sphere¡·¡ª¡ª were attack-configured programs made by Rui, their performance was much higher than the ones that were commercially available.

    And now also Shio''s attack-configured program, a bow that could manipulate two opposite attributes of ice and fire ¡¶Cryoflare¡·.

    Although it was originally a prize for winning the ¡¶UNKNOWN¡· tournament, it was broken the other day.

    That''s why Rui remade the program from scratch and also improved it.

    As a result, despite having a week long history of gameplay in ¡¶Aries¡·, Shio''s attack power has already reached a level close to that of an A-rank.

    After collecting spoils from the defeated crystal wolves, Rui called out to the two.

    "Come on, it''s about time to go. Let''s do another circle over the field, hurry."

    "Fighting against small fries is tedious. How about we ignore them and run through?"

    "Ehh, isn''t it impossible with Fuyuki''s and Shio-chan''s legs?"

    "Rucchan can carry both of us. We''re light so the brute strength of an S-rank will manage somehow."

    "Whether I can do it or not is not the problem, that''s..."

    The three girls moved towards the back of the cave while chatting. This was their current daily life.

    Ever since Karasuba Shio joined them, the daily life the girls lived has become more fun.

    "Ah, Fuyuki. There''s something I want to talk about with you concerning the specialized course, do you have time this evening?"

    "Sure. Through the phone?"

    "Nnn, if possible I want to meet face-to-face... oh right. I thought of something nicee?."

    "Something nice?"

    "Nfufu? it''s a secret?."

    As Rui started skipping in good humour, Fuyuki stared at her in wonder.

    Part 3

    "Aahhh, so tired¡ª..."

    After he finished studying in his room, Taiga lightly rotated his arms to stretch.

    He checked the terminal and found that it was already seven o''clock. Since he came back home at four o''clock, that meant he was glued to the desk for about three hours.

    That''s quite long even if I say so myself... even so, my performance isn''t improving despite spending more time on it.

    Although he didn''t miss morning training, he hasn''t logged into ¡¶Aries¡· for a week already. And that meant the amount of opportunities to wield a sword has decreased.

    For Taiga, ¡¶Aries¡· was a valuable place he could unload his stress in.

    Although they obtained a new life a month ago and lived it leisurely, but ''experiencing combat'' was also valuable in modern society. Deprived of an opportunity to dump his accumulated frustration that way, had an adverse effect and his academic ability worsened¡ª¡ªbut he wasn''t aware of that.

    "...I need to switch myself to studying completely."

    Let''s prepare some rice in the cooker... and just when he was thinking about the menu, the interphone''s bell sounded informing him about a visitor, Fuyuki''s voice could be heard from another room.

    "Oh, you''re here. Door''s open so please come in!"

    "Heyaa, I''m a bit late. Can you carry this in?"

    "What are you saying to the powerless Little Sister... Brother, please come for a moment¡ª¡ª"

    "Sure."

    After responding lightly, he headed towards the front door.

    He knew whose voice that was¡ª¡ªor rather, there was only one person whom Fuyuki would call over¡ª¡ªSaionji Rui was standing there in plain clothes. She was holding a shopping bag in her hand.

    "So it''s Rui after all. What happened for you to come this late?"

    "There''s something I need to do together with Fuyuki. Ah, please hold this."

    In the shopping bag he was passed were vegetables and meat.

    "What''s up with these ingredients?"

    "Fufu? ¡¶Paradise¡· is on a business trip to the Tenryo house."

    She loudly declared that while spreading an apron she took out from a handbag.

    *ton* *ton* *ton*¡ª¡ªa light sound echoed throughout the house.

    Although Tenryo had a high performance kitchen, it was being wasted since no one used it. This evening however was different from others.

    "Fu?nfu?nfufu?n?"

    Rui was humming happily as she rhythmically cut the vegetables.

    She had a yellow apron on top of her usual skimpy outfit and her chestnut hair tied in a ponytail swayed lightly.2

    "............"

    "Brother, you''re ogling her too much."

    Taiga admired the sight of Rui working in the kitchen to the point he didn''t realize Fuyuki was talking to him.

    It wasn''t a seductive charm. Certainly the sight of a girl in an apron was something that couldn''t be seen every day and had a considerable sex appeal. But more than that, there was something that put his mind at ease as he saw her cooking from behind.

    "Hmph!!"

    "Guohaa?!"

    Suddenly an enormous shock hit the back of his head.

    He looked up after his face fell and hit the table to see where that hit came from, he saw Fuyuki standing there making an intimidating pose, acting trigger happy with a clunky machine she was holding and looking down on him.

    "I won''t forgive being charmed by any other girl than Little Sister, shitty Brother. Shall I physically erase your memory?"

    "I-Imouto-sama... just now that was dangerous... my head made a weird ''ding'' sound..."

    Before she erases his memory, his skull will be already cracked.

    Fortunately, it didn''t seem like he was bleeding (he was quite sturdy but he checked it just in case), then he recovered and started daydreaming while staring at Rui in her apron again.

    "Want another one?"

    "Sorry I''ll stop right now... no, this somehow gives me a nostalgic feeling."

    "Nostalgic, is it?"

    "Yeah... a family, that kind of feeling."

    Family, when that word came out Fuyuki downcast her eyes.

    Eight years ago, the young siblings had lost their parents in a blink of an eye. That was probably why the siblings were so intimate with each other¡ª¡ªas if to cover up that loss.

    "Kept you waiting, it''s done... hey, what''s up with you two?"

    "...nothing. Come on Fuyuki, sit down."

    Seeing Taiga act as if he tried to cover something up, Rui was puzzled.

    "Then, it''s about time for Rui-san to go home."

    It was past eight o''clock in the evening, After cleaning up and finishing consultation on a problem which was the main purpose of her coming over, Rui stood up from her seat and headed towards the entrance with Taiga.

    "I''ll escort you home."

    "It''s still early isn''t it? I''ll be fine alone."

    "I just feel like taking a walk, so might as well. Fuyuki, go ahead and take a bath."

    "Understood. Don''t come back too late."

    Taiga and Rui walked under the night sky and the street lights.

    The caf¨¦ Rui''s parents were running was a short distance of 3 minutes by foot away. The shop''s exterior looked like a bar located in the corner of an alley that stretched from the main street¡ª¡ªthey arrived at caf¨¦ ¡¶Paradise¡· almost immediately.

    It seemed like it was thriving in its own way, many voices could be heard from inside of the store.

    "Well then, see you tomorrow."

    "Ah, wait a moment. Won''t you come upstairs with me for a moment?"

    As Taiga was about to turn away and head back, he was held back by Rui.

    "At this late hour?"

    "There''s nothing in particular that I want to do... but I thought ''it''s been a while since we''ve talked with just the two of us¡ª''."

    She was embarrassed by her own words and her cheeks faintly blushed.

    It''s a chance¡ª¡ªthat''s what she thought when Taiga said he''ll take her home.

    Whether it''s school or ¡¶Aries¡· they were always accompanied by Fuyuki and haven''t had a chance to be alone together. She was really frustrated about that.

    "¡ª¡ªIs that... no good?"

    So this was her small selfishness.

    It was impossible for Taiga to refuse her invitation as she peeked at him from under him. He shook his head lightly and followed her as she happily entered the shop.

    They went up to the second floor from the stairs in the back of the store and entered Rui''s room which was the furthest in the back.

    "As usual, your room is full of stuff."

    "Muu, it''s not like there''s a mess in here so that''s fine. I''ll bring you a coffee."

    As Rui stood up, Taiga took a breather and looked around the room.

    He has been in her room for like ten times before, but its interior hasn''t changed at all. Since it was too silent, he picked up a Rubik''s Cube that lay nearby and started to fiddle with it.

    Since he was bored and wanted to kill time, he solved it immediately¡ª¡ªor was supposed to.

    "What?"

    The movement of his fingers was somewhat dull, it wasn''t working out well. Rui who came back stared at him as he struggled and started to think about something, she looked at Taiga''s face from up close.

    "...Taiga, can it be that you''re tired?"

    "Eh?

    He was confused by her words. It didn''t feel like it. But Rui was confident about the cause of his malfunction.

    "Yup. Your eyes are more blurred than usual, so I can tell. Did you sleep properly yesterday?"

    "Yesterday... about two hours."

    "Why just two hours?"

    "It''s like that every day. I begin morning practice before four o''clock in the morning, I completely recover from two hours of sleep."

    Rui was shocked, but for Taiga that was normal.

    Certainly, his amount of sleep didn''t change. But Taiga accumulated mental fatigue by studying daily while not noticing it himself, moreover frustration accumulated because he was unable to exercise himself physically. All of these have accumulated and turned into fatigue.

    "Muu¡ª..."

    She made a displeased expression.

    It''s been a while since they were alone together. She didn''t know when the next time would come were she to miss this opportunity. That''s why, the fact that she thought ''I want him to rest'' surprised her.

    ...it can''t be helped.

    "Dat''s no good. Come on, over here."

    "H-hey..."

    Rui sat down on the bed and lightly patted her lap.

    Even Taiga knew what that gesture meant.

    "...you don''t mean you want me to sleep there?"

    "YES."

    It was the so-called lap pillow.

    "I feel like saying lots of things... but for now, tell me why."

    "To help you relax? Come on, hurry hurry. Don''t waste time."

    He hurried towards Rui and reluctantly lay down. He swallowed saliva involuntarily as he slowly lied his head down on the voluptuous things exposed by her hot pants¡ª¡ª

    "Oh...?"

    "How is it? Does it feel good?"

    The moment he entrusted his head to it, her thighs sank in slightly and accepted his head gently.

    A neither too firm nor too soft comfort continued to spread through his whole body and power left his limbs bit by bit.

    "This is... nice."

    "Right? Fuyuki said before that Rui-san''s lap rivals the most comfortable pillows."

    "How did such a conversation come to be...?"

    It couldn''t be something just friends talk about.

    With that said though, he could understand why Fuyuki said that. It certainly felt good.

    Since she was trained by working in the caf¨¦, her leg muscles moderately accepted the weight of his head. He could stay like that for hours.

    "...does Rui-san resemble Taiga''s Mother?"

    Rui asked an unexpected question. He was reminded of the conversation back at home and answered quietly.

    "Did you hear that?"

    "No, I asked Fuyuki about it afterwards since you two looked strange."

    "I see... if you ask about resemblance, then you aren''t alike. She was very different from you and couldn''t do any housework at all. But..."

    "But?"

    "...the bright atmosphere around you is similar to hers."

    She was an incredibly cheerful person.

    She played with her children as if she was the same age as them, when she was doing her job she looked like she was enjoying herself, a human rich with emotions and facial expressions.

    Those aspects of hers were similar to Rui''s.

    "...there, there."

    Before he noticed, Rui started to gently stroke his head.

    Taiga involuntarily narrowed his eyes feeling comfortable and warm, but what left his mouth seemed to say something different.

    "I''m not a child..."

    "I know. But look, isn''t it fine to be the one that''s spoiled once in a while?"

    And so, she continued to stroke his head. And as if to finish him off, she spun the words.

    "It might be because of Fuyuki, but Taiga''s always on the spoiling side. You''re taking care of Shio-chan as well don''t you?"

    "Well... I guess."

    "That''ll surely tire you out. Come on, Rui-san will spoil you so relax."

    "No, that''s¡ª¡ª"

    It happened when he was about to respond.

    ...eh...?

    His vision distorted.

    It was dizziness beyond what happened when he logged in, darkness clouded his thoughts and his eyelids closed by themselves.

    Drowsi...ness?

    Impossible.

    Certainly he felt like falling asleep. But this was different. He should be able to limit it. During sleep, people are completely defenceless.

    Taiga who was always wary of night assaults was ready to jump up at any sign of life. The only exception to that was Fuyuki who was his family.

    That''s why, being vulnerable in front of someone like this was¡ª¡ª

    "It''s fine to sleep. Rui-san will wake you up later."

    "No... but..."

    "It''s fine. Close your eyes."

    Hearing her gentle voice and being patted on the head, his thinking gradually melted.

    It was impossible for him to resist his eyelids dropping, Taiga slowly closed them shut.

    "Sorry...I''ll sleep...a bit..."

    "Yup. Good night."

    Seen off by Rui, Taiga sank into the world of dreams.

    "Ha?... how cute?."

    Rui stared at his face as he slept on her lap.

    He rubbed his cheeks against her slightly and whenever she stopped stroking his head he frowned as if saying ''don''t stop''. Every each of his reactions were unbearable and lovely.

    "...Taiga''s amazing. Not only Fuyuki and Rui-san, he even had Shio-chan fall for him. The amount of rivals increased by one again."

    Although Shio''s feelings still felt like an extension of admiration, but without a doubt she liked him.

    While she was quite displeased by that, but at the same time she was proud of him.

    Proud of the fact that the boy she fell in love with was so charming, that he made other people fall for him, proving his charm even further.

    "...rest well."

    She murmured lightly and contacted Fuyuki.

    "Ah, Fuyuki? It''s about Taiga, is it fine to borrow him for a bit? ...no. The shop''s a little busy, so I want him to help out. Yup, about two hours. I''ll send him home after the peak hours pass. Also one more thing, about tomorrow¡ª¡ªI''m thinking of using the ticket from before. Can you call Shio-chan?"

    On the second floor of Saionji family house, in Rui''s room the two leisurely spent their time together.

    Part 4

    "...I''m back."

    Her quiet murmur dispersed away in the empty room.

    The Kiritou Group''s headquarters that was located in New City¡ª¡ªa tall building with thirty-five floors, on the thirty-third floor there was Haya''s private room.

    It was different from her dedicated laboratory on another floor, it was her own perfectly private room.

    There was a Kiritou household''s mansion built in a prime location of the New City, but she hasn''t gone back there for years. For her, this was her ''home''.

    She opened the blinds through the room''s management system, vermilion sunset light entered the room.

    As expected of a view from over hundred and ten metres above the ground. The view over the city was perfect. Haya took off her uniform''s jacket and took out water from refrigerator, she sat down on a massage chair that has been taking care of her lately.

    There''s no work to do, so let''s take it slow for now.

    The company has been frequently dealing with large-scale structure problems recently, Haya already completed the tasks given to her.

    At this time, she was able to enjoy a little bit of free time. Of course, unless she''s entrusted with new work.

    ¡´"Master. Do you mind if I materialized?"¡µ

    "Go on."

    From the projector the bracelet-type terminal attached to Haya''s wrist was equipped with, the AI?Iolite''s figure was projected. The figure projected was not the usual fairy-scale, but life-size comparable to that of Haya''s.

    "It''s unusual for you to appear in this size. What made you change your mind?"

    ¡´"I just feel like it, there''s nothing in particular."¡µ

    "...is that so."

    Iora could freely change the size she appeared in. That''s because other than ''navigation'' purpose, she was intended to be ''the owner''s friend''...

    "This appearance, it''s just like her..."

    Asumi Aoko. A researcher affiliated with Kiritou and the co-developer of Iolite. Also, the one and only friend of Haya''s.

    A girl who was forced into researching things she didn''t want to because of her talent, used and broken.

    ¡´"Master, look at this dammit."¡µ

    As Haya immersed herself in the sentiment while remembering the past, Iora held out a window towards her. On it ''Periodic test''s expected problems ''s exercise book'' was written.

    "What happened, this is?"

    ¡´"You''re going to tutor Taiga in his home tomorrow right? I''ve summarized the trends over the past few years, use it."¡µ

    "...you made it by yourself?"

    ¡´"Of course."¡µ

    As Iora revealed a proud smile, Haya couldn''t hide her surprise.

    One month ago she noticed that Iora''s emotions were developing, but for her to evolve to the point of ''doing something for someone else''s sake''.

    I allowed her to roam freely a while ago... it seems like it was a good stimulus.

    Since she was busy and couldn''t take care of her, there was no choice but to do so.

    ¡´"It''s your memorable first date. Failure is unforgivable."¡µ

    "Ha?"

    ...weird. A strange term appeared.

    "Wait a little. First what?"

    ¡´"Ain''t that a damn date?"¡µ

    "What did you misunderstand to come up with such an answer..."

    ¡´"But Master''s goin'' to a man''s home, that kind of crap never happened before has it?"¡µ

    After being told that, she realized that was certainly true. As far as her memory went back, she didn''t remember going over to a friend''s place to play, even Aoko who was her best friend lived in the same headquarters building. ...though, that didn''t make Taiga special in any way.

    It''s been a while since she was able to rest.

    But with just a single call, her leisure time has been crushed. As she lowered her eyelids dozing off, a window opened on the corner of her field of vision and she jumped up seeing the caller''s name.

    ¡´"Master?"¡µ

    She silenced Iora with a gesture and cooled her mind off by taking a breath few times.

    Deeper and deeper, she buried her own self in the darkness. The one who was in here was the daughter of Kiritou Group''s president, a researcher¡ª¡ªshe used her routine self-suggestion like that.

    "¡ª¡ªHello."

    ¡´"It''s me, head to the third conference room immediately."¡µ

    An overbearing voice shook her eardrum without any greeting. She was instructed without being given any reason and thought of a possibility that caught her heart.

    ¡´"I sent you a written notice. Carry it out as soon as possible."¡µ

    "Understood."

    The call ended with a minimal exchange of words.

    Talking back to even the most unreasonable of instructions was unforgivable. Haya''s father¡ª¡ªKiritou Kouya''s words were an absolute chain in that it tied her mind.

    ¡´"Is it work?"¡µ

    "Yeah... I need to stay up all night, it can''t be helped."

    She checked the written directive sent by e-mail and let out a small sigh.

    It was possible that it would take until noon tomorrow¡ª¡ªuntil the appointed time. Guessing that, Iora''s expression clouded over slightly.

    ¡´"Will you cancel tomorrow''s study session?"¡µ

    "...no, it''s fine."

    Haya shook her head lightly.

    Honestly, that was a quite tough schedule but... she didn''t want the exercise book Iora went through so much trouble making to go to waste.

    "I''ll finish on time somehow. Will you help me?"

    ¡´"Understood, Master."¡µ

    With Iora on her shoulder, Haya went down the headquarters building by elevator.

    Part 5

    *slooshhh*, a cool sound of waves rang out.

    The upcoming waves wet Taiga''s feet and bounced off after finding resistance.

    "............"

    It was the sea.

    Waves appeared on the crystal clear greenish water moved by the wind, it shone brilliantly reflecting the light of sun it was showered with. Pure white sand spread far and wide, it was white like chalk and hot, raising the body temperature through the soles of his feet.

    By the way, it was still May. Too fast for the beach to be open for use.

    "...well, it''s the virtual world. I guess there are things like these as well."

    Taiga looked up at the sun that radiated heat without any mercy and squinted.

    What he was wearing wasn''t his usual long coat, instead he was wearing black trunks.

    Why was he in a place like this¡ª¡ªhe recalled what happened a few minutes earlier.

    After finishing his morning practice he went straight to ¡¶Aries¡· after being invited over by Rui.

    And the place she told him to come through ¡´Transition¡µ push was here¡ª¡ªa new area ¡¶Emerald Sea¡· that was supposed to be implemented next week. Only ten people in all of Aries, namely people with an S-rank, were able to experience the area before it came out.

    And thus, four people used that right together with her, coming to play in the sea.

    However, there was only Taiga in this place at the moment. The other three told him to wait and left after passing him data for the trunks.

    I can imagine what they are doing but... did they really have to move away for that?

    He had first hand experience, unlike in reality changing clothes took only a moment. It didn''t expose anything.

    Even so, they moved all the way to disappear from his sight despite not needing to do so...

    ...I can''t calm down.

    It felt as if a heavy blow dealt to him was postponed.

    And then, the terminal''s window opened as he received a call. He was suspicious after seeing the caller''s name, but he immediately answered.

    "What is it Leon?"

    ¡´"Heya. Got a moment?"¡µ

    The person displayed on the screen was an older man¡ª¡ªLeon.

    A player he got acquainted with when he toured Aries together with Shio two weeks earlier, leader of a clan named ¡¶Lion Alliance¡·. He was one of few acquaintances of the same gender he had, so he stayed in touch with him occasionally ever since the incident happened.

    ¡´"There''s something I''m worried about. You were investigating the ¡¶Angel¡· weren''t you?"¡µ

    "Yeah. You got something?"

    ¡¶Angel¡·¡ª¡ªthe unidentified virtual body that was the culprit during the incident with Shio.

    Its purpose was unknown. Nevertheless, Taiga instinctively recognized it as ''enemy''. Although he asked Leon to continue gathering information about it, there wasn''t any movements.

    ¡´"It seems like it''s on the move big time. Various programs made by ¡¶Angel¡· appear not only in ¡¶Aries¡· but also other multiple large-scale structures. This time it''s attack-configured programs, and the rate at which it spreading is far beyond how it was last time."¡µ

    "Attack-configured programs?"

    ¡´"Yeah, their performance is pretty good and I''ve seen an abundance of types out there when I recently looked around the city centre. For the time being I thought I''d tell you information on ¡¶Angel¡·. "¡µ

    After receiving Leon''s report, Taiga started wondering.

    Attack-configured programs were something essential to a large-scale structure. Although the most basic ones were given to people from the management, after getting used to those, people look for ones that have a better performance. That''s why ¡¶Angel¡·''s actions would be considered ''a godsend'' by players.

    But simply because Taiga knew Shio''s case, he felt anxious over what ¡¶Angel¡·''s real purpose was.

    "...can you obtain one of these attack-configured programs? As soon as possible."

    As Taiga requested that, Leon put a hand on his chin and thought.

    ¡´"...even if I hurry, it might take a while."¡µ

    "Got it. Then how about three times?"

    ¡´"Okay. Deal."¡µ

    He''ll help them out in combat three times¡ª¡ªhe agreed on helping ¡¶Lion Alliance¡· when they were short of battle potential, that was the deal he made. When asking Leon for a favour, that''s the method Taiga used. He already familiarized himself with it and he already got acquainted with all the members of ¡¶Lion Alliance¡·.

    ¡´"Now then, I''ll send you a mail if I manage to get one safely."¡µ

    "Thanks."

    And after that concise exchange of words, he cut the call.

    If ¡¶Angel¡· was on the move, that wasn''t a good thing. That''s the feeling he had. He had to stay vigilant.

    "Sorry for the wait?."

    And then, he was called from behind. He turned to look behind¡ª¡ªand was at a loss for words. I''m glad to be here. He thought that from the bottom of his heart.

    "Sorry, there were some formalities so it took longer."

    "Nn... ah, no. You didn''t make me wait."

    "Really? That''s good then."

    It was just like her, Rui was wearing a bright yellow swimsuit and had a lovely smile on her face as she said that.

    There wasn''t much difference in the amount of exposure between this and her usual clothes when it came to the bottom of the swimsuit, as it was almost the same as the hot pants she usually wears. However, the upper body was a big problem. An unrivaled among the same age group of people abundant bulge was enclosed by a triangular bikini that obviously had not enough cloth on it, soft flesh was protruding from its sides.

    "Muu... Brother, how''s Little Sister''s swimsuit? Is it charming?"

    Fuyuki had notice where Taiga''s line of sight was stuck, and said with a threatening tone. She urged Rui to step aside and moved in front instead. Incomparable with that of Rui''s, his little sister''s limbs were underdeveloped. She wore a black bikini.

    Both the upper and lower parts were similar, there was an awkwardly small amount of cloth, at first glance it seemed like it didn''t suit Fuyuki. However, that imbalance showcased her bewitching qualities that were hidden before.

    As the girls showed off their dazzling figures, Taiga obviously averted his eyes.

    However, the two of them weren''t pleased with such an attitude and closed the distance on him. He took a step back reflexively.

    "Brother, I won''t tell you to stare a hole in us, but not looking at all is rude."

    "That''s right?. Feedback please!"

    "Y-you two look great."

    "We''re not looking for such a bland answer. What you think about Shii-chan¡ª¡ªhey, Shii-chan?"

    Prompted by Fuyuki, Taiga looked at Shio who was a bit further away.

    Shio hasn''t heard the trio''s conversation and was still staring at the sea.

    She wore a one-piece swimsuit, it had blue and white horizontal stripes, it fit not only her personality but also her maturity. Shio called out with a lovely voice.

    "Waa?! So this is the sea...!"

    Seeing an emerald sea spreading as far as she could see, she was filled with curiosity like a child.

    "...your eyes are sparkling."

    "Speaking of which, this is the first time for you to visit a beach. Last time Little Sister was on one was eight years ago. How about Brother?"

    "It''s my first time on a beautiful one like this."

    That was the concept, ¡¶Emerald Sea¡· had an atmosphere like a resort.

    Tropical trees, dazzling sun. The temperature was adjusted to be warm but not too hot, the perfect environment for spending time was maintained.

    "Hey hey, can I go in already?"

    "Ah, yes. Sure you can."

    Without even waiting for an answer, Shio rushed into the sea impatiently.

    At first she was fearful of it, but soon enough she proceeded into water until her legs were completely covered with water and she released the strength in her limbs, allowing herself to float on water..

    Her face melted and changed into a relaxed one.

    "Somewhat, she seems really refreshed."

    "Oh, Shii-chan... let''s surprise her a bit."

    Fuyuki submerged slightly and approached Shio while making sure she isn''t noticed, it was a pitiful sight as Shio''s face floating on seawater was relaxed and she was enjoying herself. Shio''s balance immediately broke and she sank into the sea hitting the seafloor with her bottom.

    "Come on, let''s join them Taiga."

    "Ah, hey!"

    "Haaa! Let''s play around todaaay!"

    Rui pulled Taiga by his hand and they went into the sea together.

    He didn''t know how long it''s been since then.

    "Fuu..."

    Taiga went back to the beach alone and sat down under a palm tree on which he rested his back, he absent-mindedly watched the girls play in water.

    ...they''re having lots of fun.

    At the moment they were using rented water guns (they looked very similar to real ones) and were shooting at each other.

    As far he could see, Fuyuki was losing. Rui was good at sports and Shio could be considered as someone who''s familiar with shooting.

    By the way, Taiga didn''t join the battle, if he did it would no longer be a fair match.

    Even if moving in water was harder than on the land, there was no reason to get hit by a mass of water that moved slower than live ammunition. Even if he held himself back, he would instinctively switch into combat mode were a muzzle to be aimed at him because of the way the water guns looked.

    I can''t even play around... what am I doing.

    He stared at his own hands, to be exact he looked towards lower part of his wrist. A gunshot wound on his real flesh¡ª¡ªalthough it was a very small wound that didn''t stand out¡ª¡ªbut there was an old wound there.

    A scar of the past.

    As he was casually enjoying his everyday life, a heavy thought weighed on his mind.

    You don''t belong to this place¡ª¡ªhe heard a whisper like that.

    "............"

    Tenryo Taiga wasn''t a good person who should spend his days in such a warm and clean place like this. He knew very well that he wasn''t qualified to do that.

    Even so, he hoped that he''s able to stay in this place, he blamed his weak heart for that.

    "Thinking about something? Your face is really dark?"

    As he raised his face, he saw Fuyuki who must have left the sea before he noticed it and stood next to him. Water droplets were dripping down from her glossy black hair and fell on the pure white sandy beach.

    "Where''s Rui and Shio?"

    "They''re doing swimming training. Shii-chan doesn''t know how to swim, so Rucchan is teaching her."

    In the direction Fuyuki glanced to, Shio who was being pulled by Rui desperately repeated flutter kicks. Her movements were still stiff and weren''t good enough to be complimented.

    He watched that for a while.

    When her practice time with Rui finished and Shio began to swim without aid, Fuyuki grasped his arm all of a sudden.

    "...Brother, accompany me for a while."

    She said that and began walking without waiting for his answer. Moreover, they went in a direction opposite from the sea.

    "Hey, where are we going?"

    "Further away... somewhere where we won''t be disturbed."

    The second part of the sentence was too quiet, so Taiga didn''t hear it.

    Fuyuki continued to walk to a distant part of the beach and finally stopped when both Rui and Shio were no longer visible.

    "It should be all right over here. Yup."

    She manipulated a window and extracted a light blue sheet and laid it down on the ground. After that she manipulated the window again taking out a small green bottle.

    After it was passed to Taiga, he opened it and a flowery aroma tickled his nostrils.

    "What''s this?"

    "Aroma oil. It''s a program given to us together with the water guns, it seems like one of the items to enjoy in this area."

    "Hee... hey, Fuyuki! What are you doing?!"

    As Taiga looked up after looking at the vial, he saw Fuyuki turned with her back to him and removed the top of her swimsuit. There was nothing covering her small and white back.

    Taiga looked away in a hurry, Fuyuki lay face down on the sheet and murmured seductively to him.

    "Please rub the aroma oil on my body. Of course, with your bare hands."

    "Haa?!"

    Suddenly his thoughts were thrown into confusion.

    Seeing him like that Fuyuki repeated.

    "This is something that has to be applied by hand. There are places Little Sister can''t reach, can you do me this favour?"

    "Ask Rui or Shio to do it!"

    "Oh dear, you won''t understand unless I explain it to you, will you."

    Fuyuki puckered her lips dissatisfied and shook her hair off her back as she admonished him.

    "I want Brother to rub it on me."

    "A...u...wh..."

    He started stammering as she looked at him.

    Taiga had no willpower to resist her seduction.

    "Come, hurry up."

    Invited by her, he knelt beside her.

    He swallowed his saliva as he closed on to her pure white back and tilted the vial, golden liquid poured onto palm of his hand. It was more viscous than expected and it was sticking to his fingers.

    "Nn..."

    After splashing some of the sticky liquid on her back, he touched it. It must''ve been cold since Fuyuki leaked out a small voice.

    While being flustered as her soft skin sucked his fingers in, he spread the oil while stroking her back.

    "Brother, rub it on more firmly."

    "G-got it..."

    When he pressed the palms of his hands against her skin more boldly, the viscous liquid spread between his hand and her soft skin. The sweet flowery aroma drifted towards him and his thinking had been clouded over.

    "Do it on the sides too, please apply it so that there''s no places uncovered by it."

    Her whisper penetrated his hazy consciousness, he slid his fingertips towards her sides.

    Taiga''s breath has already been turbulent and rough. It was the same for Fuyuki, whenever he touched a sensitive place, she raised a lovely moan, but since he didn''t pay attention, he continued to slowly move his fingers.

    ¡ª¡ª*funyari*

    "Fuaa...!!"

    The moment he slid his finger further to the side, his fingers sank in softly. An exceptionally sweet voice leaked out from Fuyuki''s mouth.

    Uwaa... this is¡ª¡ª!!

    His consciousness returned and he realized where he was touching, he moved his fingers away in a hurry.

    The place mentioned earlier where he rubbed the oil on was Fuyuki''s humble chest, it was shiny and the way it looked could be called obscene.

    "...any more... is impossible..."

    Then, Fuyuki suddenly hugged onto him.

    "Woaah!"

    He was caught off guard completely and unable to resist, she pushed him down on the sheet.

    Fuyuki''s hands wound around Taiga''s neck and her bare breasts pressed onto his chest. He realized the identity of two hard spots in the centre of her breast and the inside of his head turned white.

    "Onii... Little Sister can''t hold back any longer..."

    Her whisper seeped into his thoughts like poison.

    His heart was pounding fast and hard as if it wanted to tear out from his chest, all the senses in his body were roused as he touched her body. His blood was boiling and his brain was dizzy so he couldn''t think of anything.

    Not good. This situation is... the worst.

    He needs to hurry and pull away, if he''s too late¡ª¡ª

    "...let''s entangle together until we''re all sticky and mushy...?"

    The sweet voice melted away his reason with ease.

    "¡ª¡ªFuyuki!!"

    Motivated by urge that rose within him, he hugged her thin body strongly. Fuyuki in his arms let out a happy voice and sweetly rubbed her body on his.

    He could no longer stop.

    With lust burning in his heart, he wanted to devour this lovely girl until she''s exhausted¡ª¡ª

    "...eh? Where did they go? Heeey, Fuyuki! Taiga?!"

    They couldn''t afford to be seen like this¡ª¡ªhe thought that and regained composure all at once. He released Fuyuki and turned away quickly as not to look at her skin colour.

    "H-hurry up and put the top on. They''re coming."

    Silence, no response. Fuyuki''s frustrated gaze pierced his back, but he couldn''t afford to let himself be shaken.

    "...Onii''s reasoning is weird. You went back to normal too fast."

    Fuyuki opened a window and put the top on with it, she stored both the sheet and aroma oil as well. She went back towards Rui who was looking for them.

    "...reasoning? Don''t be stupid."

    As he sent her back off, he grumbled softly.

    "I''m completely done in right now."

    He took a deep breath, and even as he released it the heat in his body wouldn''t cool down. With nowhere to escape, feelings inside Taiga ran amok.

    He couldn''t cover it up any longer.

    Tenryo Taiga was seeking Tenryo Fuyuki as someone of opposite sex.

    If that happens again, he will be unable to restrain himself¡ª¡ªhe continued to breathe again and again, desperately trying to calm himself down.

    Part 6

    ¡ª¡ª*guchyari*.

    Wrapped in the pitch black darkness, in an unknown location. In the empty world light didn''t enter, an unpleasant sound that seemed like a swirling mood echoed.

    The source of the sound, was a water inlet.

    The scene of the cloudy liquids that filled it rubbing against each other would disgust anyone with a decent amount of sensibility and morals.

    "...hmm. Looks like it''s going well."

    Next to it stood a virtual body covered by a white robe.

    The pure white outfit was shining conspicuously in the darkness of the abyss. Originally that colour should blow away the darkness, but something like a black pollution was sticking to it. It was reminiscent to how moths flock to light.

    "¡ª¡ªGenerate."

    It murmured a short command.

    All the liquid collected at one point, and started to move eerily as if it had its own will. Spiraling, the pollution became more viscous and slowly hardened, shaping an armour of darkness soon enough.

    Jet black knight ¡¶Zygote¡·.

    It made Taiga and Rui suffer in the past, a virus program with high combat capability. Even one of them would be powerful enough, but soon after two, three of them were produced.

    The pure white virtual body gloated over it as ¡¶Zygote¡·s appeared.

    "It''ll take few days until I have enough fighting force, will it. And then I''ll break through security... fufu, it won''t be easy."

    Preparations were progressing steadily. If there was to be one thing that could stop it, it was¡ª¡ª

    "...Tenryo Taiga, eh."

    That boy crossed its mind.

    There was no reason for it, but it was instinctively convinced of it¡ª¡ªthat he will stand in its way.

    To be honest, Tenryo Taiga alone wasn''t that much of a threat. But his little sister Tenryo Fuyuki was different.

    It was reminded of her abilities she displayed the other day. She could be the one who could stop its plan.

    "Let''s prepare some countermeasures."

    Even if it was the slightest possibility, it had to be crushed.

    ¡¶Angel¡· formed another black knight, which disappeared soon after, as if melting into the darkness.

    Notes and References

    - 1.¡ü Means third most in french.

    - 2.¡ü I feel like I''ll hold a grudge over illustrator not illustrating Rui with ponytail. Nghhhh.

 Volume 3, 2 - Quickeningâ€™s Silence

    Volume 3, Chapter 2 - Quickening''s Silence

    Part 1

    The next day, Sunday noon, by the front door of the Tenryo family''s home.

    The interphone sounded on time, and Taiga opened the door.

    "Good day to you, Taiga-kun."

    With a modest red cardigan on top, Haya wore a neat long skirt that covered her up to her ankles. She bowed with a meek smile.

    "Although we don''t have much time today, I''ll do my best to raise Taiga-kun''s performance... hey, what''s up with that expression of yours."

    "Sorry. Hearing your polite tone puts me in a bad mood..."

    "You looking for a fight?"

    After Taiga''s extremely rude words, her mask of ''well-brought up lady'' immediately disappeared, her true domineering young lady''s expression appeared instead. Her personality switch''s speed was as terrifyingly fast as ever.

    "It''s been a while since I met you in that mode. I thought my hearing had gone wrong."

    "You really are a rude guy... I did it just in case because you have a little sister. The more people know about it, the harder it is to silence them in case of an emergency."

    Well it''s been already half-noticed... but he preferred not to say it. He heard no hesitation in her voice as she said these dangerous words. Taiga invited Haya inside.

    "If it''s Fuyuki then she''s in her room. Well, she probably won''t come out so you don''t have to worry."

    He told her the day before about the study session and she''s been acting sullen since then.

    After what happened by the beach, he couldn''t face her squarely or try to calm her down; he stalled it for too long and the actual day of the study session came.

    "Fine then. There''s no time, let''s start at once. Your room should be fine."

    "Nn? Isn''t living room with a lot of space better?"

    "Don''t be stupid. It''ll be no good if your little sister comes in the meantime."

    "That''s only for you..."

    Since there was nothing in particular he wanted to hide, Taiga took her to his room obediently.

    As they walked down the corridor, Haya looked around as if she''s seen something unusual.

    "Hmm, that''s a pretty nice house. Must have been just as expensive."

    "Enough to blow away our savings. And here we are, my room."

    "...quite bland."

    Just as Haya said, the room was too neat for something people lived in. What caught her eye was the table in the middle and the Japanese sword that was hung on the wall.

    Not only weren''t there many things there. Everything seem neatly prepared, and the sword seemed ready to be drawn at anytime¡ª¡ªthat''s the impression she had. She wondered just what kind of life the boy has been living up until this moment.

    "I don''t bring in many things, and I have no hobbies."

    "And that sword? Isn''t collecting fake swords also a hobby?"

    "Ah¡ª... that''s the only thing I enjoy, something like that."

    Were he to say that it''s the real thing, she might have been excited about it. Although he wanted to see the look on her face as he told her that, he couldn''t bring himself to do it.

    "Come out Iora."

    ¡´"Understood."¡µ

    The terminal lit up and Iora was projected into the air. She''s been wearing glasses with black rims she once had on before and hit one of her hands with the pointing stick she held in the other.

    ¡´"Today''s strict teaching session. Prepare yourself dammit."¡µ

    "Iora''s also in the teacher role today?"

    "She''s strangely motivated today. It''s not really a problem either. So... ah¡ª¡ª?"

    It happened when she tried to sit down on the floor.

    He saw her stagger and as she started falling down, Taiga immediately reacted and caught her.

    "Hey, you all right?"

    "I''m just a little dizzy. No need to worry... geez, for me to fall down after just one all-nighter..."

    ¡´"Master, so you were tired because of yesterday after all...?"¡µ

    "I''m okay so don''t make that face. Come on Taiga, how long are you going to support me."

    "Ah, sorry."

    "Brother¡ª, I brought something to drink. I''m ente..ri...ng..."

    As Taiga tried to move away from Haya, at that very moment the door has been opened wide with a lot of force.

    Fuyuki appeared with cups on top of a tray, she slowly lowered her gaze. There, Taiga was gently (from Fuyuki''s perspective) embracing Haya.

    "F-Fuyuki... t-this is, um.. an accident."

    Taiga broke into cold sweat as he made an excuse, Fuyuki looked down with a lovely and yet spine-chilling smile. Then she put the cups aside from the tray and¡ª¡ª

    "Wwwhhhhaaaaaaatttttt are you doooooooooooingggg you idioot Brotherrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!"

    "Ogouhh?!!"

    With a loud *dang* sound the tray has been smashed into his head.

    By the way, Haya has fled into the corner of the room when the tray was swung up. She suddenly collapsed before, but her escape was quick.

    "Seriously... I decided to check on you after all. Even though there''s Little Sister nearby, you bring another woman to your room, moreover you''re all over each other you shitty Brother...!"

    She continued to hit Taiga with the tray time after time even after he fell on the floor. It was just a tray so it didn''t hurt that much, but a loud sound rang out in his head every time he was hit. After she satisfied her urge to beat him up, Fuyuki corrected her posture and turned around to Haya. She made an obvious fake smile.

    "It''s been a while, Kiritou Haya-san. We haven''t met since the Reaper incident have we?"

    "Yes indeed. I have been in your care back then."

    Haya instantly put on her fa?ade and smiled softly. They both smiled but it didn''t reach their eyes... that probably wasn''t just his imagination.

    "President must be too busy to teach Brother today, are you not preparing for exams as well? You can go back if you like? Little Sister will be the one teaching instead."

    "Thank you for your consideration. But he''s my junior who is in the same specialized subject course, also... it might sound rude, but Imouto-san seems somewhat unreliable."

    "...hee."

    Although she was told ''go home'' by Fuyuki in a roundabout way, Haya''s eyebrows didn''t even twitch and the graceful mask remained on her face. Even so, it seemed like she was waging her a war, maybe she decided to take her on.

    "...they are too alike."

    He murmured it absent-mindedly, causing the line of sight of the two to pierce through him.

    "Can you not say something that rude? Don''t compare me with someone so intimidating and black hearted, it''s vexing."

    "You are being rude as well miss... but I agree with some content of what you said. I don''t like people who cling to their family members like this."

    "Is that so. What a coincidence."

    "Indeed."

    The girls showed each other a radiant smile, but Taiga who was watching from the side broke into a cold sweat.

    It was rare for Fuyuki to show hostility openly (the case from day before must have fueled it), but for the fa?ade-mode Haya it was also very rare. Normally she would have laughed it off to deceive the other party.

    Just as he thought about that, he saw Iora beckoning him from the edge of his field of view. Taiga focused on listening to her while trying not to catch the other two''s attention.

    ¡´"Are these two on bad terms dammit? I have no memory of them being acquainted at all."¡µ

    "They must be incompatible. Look, they''re somewhat alike."

    ¡´"I see, so this is what they call an aversion to their own damn kind."¡µ

    Their appearance was alike as well (the long Japanese-style black hair). I wonder why does that atmosphere feel similar¡ª¡ªTaiga thought.

    "Taiga-kun, since there is no time to waste let''s start immediately. Ah, Imouto-san please return to your room, you will interfere with studying."

    "Is that so. Then I shall go back when I finish drinking this coffee, it would be a waste to let it cool down after taking an effort to bring it here."

    For some reason Fuyuki brought three cups of coffee, she said that and took one cup of coffee in her hands and sat down next to Taiga,.

    The way Haya looked at Fuyuki as if seeming to relay that she was being a nuisance, she sighed and turned towards Taiga once again.

    "Let''s focus on avoiding failing and focus on the weak subjects. First is modern languages."

    ¡´"Let''s go super strict today."¡µ

    And like this with one person getting in the way which wasn''t in the plan, the ''anti-failure study session of Tenryo Taiga''s'' began.

    ¡´"...getting fucking wasted on the very first problem. That''s surprising."¡µ

    "Shouldn''t you start over from elementary school?"

    He started to feel insecure at the very beginning.

    Part 2

    The faint sound of a mechanical pencil moving filled the quiet room.

    "............"

    Although he hesitated sometimes, Taiga somehow managed to fill the answer sheet. Just when he managed to fill the blanks, Iora let out a voice.

    ¡´"Pinponpanpoon. Time''s up dammit."¡µ

    "...haa, that was close?. I managed to solve it all somehow."

    "You barely made it. That was a simulated test, you won''t have time to double-check your answers like this, it''s no good."

    "Don''t say nonsense, there''s just not enough time."

    Although Fuyuki who was sitting by his side admonished him, even though he did his best to answer it all. Before he noticed she went back to her normal way of speaking. The fact he was able to complete it was all thanks to Haya who proposed a study session.

    Iora scanned the answer sheet and converted it into electronic data, then she called out towards Haya who was breathing quietly in her sleep as she leaned against the wall.

    ¡´"Master, it''s finished. Master!"¡µ

    "...nn? Ahh..."

    Haya opened her eyes in languid manner.

    The book she was reading fell to the floor, its pages bent, she didn''t realize it. Her tone went back to her usual one, but she must have been half asleep.

    "Haya?"

    "...I''ll go wash my face. Iora stay here and score it."

    She stood up while saying that and left the room with a wobbly gait.

    ¡´"Is she in a state horrible enough to make her forget Fuyuki is here damn it? She went back to her original self."¡µ

    "You and your tone of voice is turning weirder and weirder."

    Taiga stood up and stretched his stiff body.

    As he looked outside, it seemed like the sky was covered with thick grey clouds and light rain started to fall.

    "The weather has collapsed..."

    "According to the forecast it''s supposed to rain intensely in the evening."

    The modern weather forecast system is supposed to have an accuracy rate of 99%. The deviation from that number is close to zero.

    "...speaking of which, it''s the first time that AI over there has showed itself to me isn''t it?"

    ¡´"Yes. AI?Iolite, please call me Iora."¡µ

    "Iora, is it. Hmm, you''ve wonderful emotional expressions. They don''t seem to be fake. Is it fine to tinker with your mental structure a little?"

    ¡´"Don''t you dare."¡µ

    As the two who met for the first time chatted, Taiga drank his coffee and rested his head.

    Suddenly Fuyuki joined them to teach him as well, and he was tired by her and Haya continuously intimidating each other.

    But it was worth it. I managed to answer the test somehow.

    He wouldn''t get too high a score, but it should be enough to avoid failing. At this rate the exams that start tomorrow won''t be a problem to him.

    The scoring was over, and they were reviewing it for about thirty minutes.

    However, Haya who should have gone just to wash her face hasn''t come back yet. She was way late.

    "...I''ll go take a look."

    Following Taiga, Fuyuki and Iora left the room as well.

    "That person was being unsteady for a while not. Maybe she fell down somewhere."

    "Don''t say such things."

    His feet stopped when he was in front of washroom.

    In the living room that has come into their field of vision, there was a sofa and the person they were looking for was on top of it.

    "Suu... suu..."

    She must have lost to sleepiness in the middle of her trip to washroom, she was sleeping while using a cushion as replacement for a pillow.

    Not caring about her appearances, her clothes were all wrinkled and her hair curled up weirdly.

    "Why is this person proudly indulging in her sleep while in someone else''s home. Doesn''t she know how to restrain herself?"

    Fuyuki raised an appalled voice.

    Certainly, that would be okay if it were her lover''s home, but since it was a home into which she stormed in forcibly to teach him, he could not help but let out a tired sigh.

    "Ah¡ª¡ªw-well I guess. Look, she must be really tired."

    "Why are you saying acting so gentle towards her. This is Little Sisters and Brother''s house isn''t it? Let''s slap her awake immediately... no, let''s throw her outside in this state. The cleaning drones will take her for garbage and throw her away."

    "Stop that!"

    It didn''t sound like a joke at all and it was scary. Just how much did she hate Haya.

    However, despite the fact that Fuyuki''s proposal was rejected, they couldn''t leave her as she was at the moment. Taiga tried to wake her up, but Iora went in between them.

    ¡´"Please wait a moment. Can you allow her to sleep like this for a while?"¡µ

    "...Iora?"

    ¡´"Master''s been busy with work until right before she came here and didn''t sleep a wink. If she goes back to Kiritou, no one knows what kind of damn work she will be given. I want her to rest properly."¡µ

    As she said that, Iora stared at Haya with a caring expression.

    That look of hers, worrying about someone important to her, didn''t look like something artificial, but like one of a real ''human''.

    "Even if you say that, we have no obligation to let her sleep... Brother? What are you doing?"

    "It''s better if she sleeps on the bed rather than the sofa. Fuyuki, open the bedroom''s door."

    "Are you serious?"

    "I''ve been in her care for many things, also having Kiritou''s princess owe us is not bad."

    He made up a decent reason.

    But the truth was that he didn''t want her to leave tired like that. Just like he was comforted by Rui, he wanted to let Haya rest as well.

    ...so light.

    Taiga was surprised by how light Haya was as he raised her up and carefully carried her to the bedroom, while making sure he doesn''t drop her. Fortunately, she was sleeping like a log and didn''t wake up.

    ¡´"That''s helluva large bed. You two must be enjoying yourself on it every day?"¡µ

    "Your evolution is really turning way too weird."

    He was amazed by Iora who said a joke with a straight face, he laid Haya down on the bed and left the room. Right before leaving the room Iora turned around¡ª¡ª

    ¡´"...good night Master. I wish you good dreams."¡µ

    She murmured with a voice harbouring emotions unlike a virtual personality.

    ...ah, this is a dream.

    A lucid dream¡ª¡ªa dream in which she was aware that she was watching a dream.

    Although they said one could change the contents of the dream according to one''s will, this was a memory of the past. A sight she was unable to reproduce, something that was lost.

    In the middle of the illusion stood a single girl.

    She had bluish-black hair carelessly tied in the back, she wore a white coat on top of a black jersey. Although she had refined features her clothes were a mess.

    ............Aoko.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª, ¡ª¡ª, ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª."

    She was saying something in her memory, but it was barely audible through static. Aoko''s mouth distorted proudly as she placed a pure white mannequin beside her.

    ...yeah. That''s when the virtual body had been completed.

    A memory of Iora''s development''s early days.

    First of all they prepared a virtual body to place a virtual personality in, it was the scene during which Aoko enthusiastically showed it to her. She could remember her boastful look and her proud laughter.

    Now that I think of it, she prepared a pointlessly high performance body...

    It had high virtual durability and modification capacity as well as enormous calculation capacity, even if one looked around the entire world they wouldn''t find such a high-performance virtual body¡ª¡ªthat''s what she declared.

    Speaking of which, it was at that time. The appearance of the virtual body was decided single-handedly by Aoko who used her own physical information.

    She wanted to use my face didn''t she.

    She was saying things like ''Haya''s face looks popular sort'' or ''my own eyes look too sharp'' and so on, she was just too ashamed to use her own face.

    That''s why she put on a lock on the body modifications to prevent Aoko from changing it.

    Although Aoko could''ve hacked it easily if she wanted to.

    Since she didn''t do it, she wasn''t all that much against it¡ª¡ªthat''s what Haya thought. Although it was impossible to ascertain it now that she has died cause of illness.

    ¡ª¡ªAh, I''m waking up.

    Her consciousness was rapidly returning.

    I want it to continue¡ª¡ªbut her wishes weren''t fulfilled, the dream continued to lose its colours and become monochromatic.

    ...I want to see more.

    Until the moment she completely woke up, she thought of the friend she will never meet again.

    "Hmmhmm... I see. I-chan''s interpretation is really unique. It helps a lot since it''s different from Little Sister''s idea."

    ¡´"Ehhen, there''s more to come."¡µ

    After Taiga came back to living room, he saw Fuyuki and Iora talk happily.

    Putting Iora''s lack of hesitation aside, it was surprising for Fuyuki who has an intense fear of strangers to become friends with someone in such a short period of time. Well, Iora was not a human though.

    It was around seven o''clock in the evening, large raindrops were falling from the sky as a storm was raging in the pitch-black sky. It was easy to tell how intense it was just by looking as the rain hitting the windows.

    According to the forecast it''s supposed to cease tomorrow morning but... looks like morning practice will be impossible.

    Just as he thought that, the bedroom''s door behind him opened loudly.

    With hair so black it seemed like they were painted with a lacquer and dressed like a young lady heading to a resort. Haya emerged while looking like that¡ª¡ªor should have, however...

    "...um?m..."

    "Uaaa?...my head''s so heavy..."

    Her voice sounded nothing like one of a young lady.

    Although he wanted to ask her why did she act so wildly, but the look in her eyes told him she was really drowsy.

    "...living dead?"

    The figure which trailed unsteadily and looked ready to fall down at any moment wasn''t Fuyuki''s, but without doubt one of Kiritou Haya''s.

    So to say, it was beyond the level of someone suffering from a hangover.

    "H-Haya? What''s with you?"

    "Shadap, movway... gonna was my face..."

    While moving in front of the shocked siblings, Haya continued to move while bumping into the walls and furniture. When her figure was no longer visible from behind, Fuyuki murmured.

    "...who''s the idiot who called that thing ''ladylike yamato nadeshiko''."

    ¡´"Master is always like that after waking up you know?"¡µ

    "Seriously?!"

    To think she could change into a proper and lovely yamato nadeshiko from that. They could only admire her in earnest.

    ¡´"That''s the face she only shows after having proper sleep. It seems like she was able to rest dammit."¡µ

    "It''s unthinkable for someone to get proper sleep in someone else''s house."

    While Iora had a faint smile on her face, Fuyuki responded strictly.

    A few minutes later Haya came back refreshed and neat. With that said though, it was just to an extent where her pupils no longer looked like that of a dead fish, she couldn''t be called a yamato nadeshiko as she was.

    "...I''m thirsty."

    "Wait, that''s my water¡ª¡ªshe''s not listening."

    Haya opened the refrigerator without any hesitation and all at once she drank the mineral water that was inside. After that she threw away the emptied bottle and spoke with half-opened eyes.

    "Want more."

    ""It''s not all you can drink!!""1

    She was acting too arrogantly, she heard the siblings retorted unconsciously. But Haya gestured at them not to mind it, or rather she proudly puffed her chest saying ''you guys are weird''.

    "What, it''s nothing expensive. You should be honoured that it was used for my sake."

    She said something despicable and irrational. Both Taiga and Fuyuki were stunned.

    ¡´"Her thinking being very simple and her having a foul mouth are another characteristic she has after waking up. ...Master. Master. Get a hold of yourself."¡µ

    "Ah? What is it Iora?"

    ¡´"Fuyuki is looking. Is it fine not to put on your fa?ade?"¡µ

    "It''s a pain in the ass so I''ll pass."

    Ignoring what she''s been doing up until that moment Haya shed off her mask. The fact that her thinking process was simple after waking up must have been true.

    "It seems like I''ve slept for a while. Taiga''s results should be fine at this rate... I should have some time to spare for myself now."

    She glanced at the results of simulated test and fixed her hair and clothes with her hand. Then she made an elegant bow that made them fascinated involuntarily and flashed a refined smile.

    "Now then you two, thank you very much for today. If you leak anything you''ve seen or heard today, I''ll use both physical and psychological means to shut you up, thank you very much?"

    ""Go home already!"

    What was refined was only her appearance.

    "I''ll do so even if you don''t tell me that. Let''s go Iora."

    ¡´"Yes sir. Now then Taiga, Fuyuki, until the next opportunity comes¡ª¡ª"¡µ

    Just when one person and one identity were about to go home.

    All the lights disappeared without warning and the room was shrouded in the darkness.

    ¡´"Uh-huh?"¡µ

    A power outage¡ª¡ªall lights were lost, and the only thing that could be seen was Iora who shone with phosphorescent light. As they looked outside, it was not only their room but the whole city that was covered in darkness.

    "It seems like not only this place lost power. The power plant must have been hit by heavy rain."

    "It''s not something that can be taken down so easily. This must happened from the management¡ª¡ªfrom our side. The power control system must''ve went down in the headquarters."

    New City''s electricity management was done by a large-scale structure. It seemed like a problem has appeared in there.

    "...it must be part of the problem from before. Geez, what is Kiritou doing. How can they allow such a massive power outage."

    "Can you not say that while facing me? I''m not involved in this matter at all... but this is really bad. There''s nothing we can do without electricity when it''s this late."

    In the meantime the emergency power supply was activated, but the lights that were lit were fairly dim.

    "...well, that''s how it turned out."

    ¡´"This room is consuming too much power. Fuyuki, you over-customized it."¡µ

    "Uh... it can''t be helped. I didn''t think it would turn out like this."

    In modern times everything was controlled by a network, the power consumption of every household was enormous. The emergency power supply wasn''t enough to supply an entire apartment with electricity. Moreover, Tenryo household was consuming more than a normal household, together with the power it''s security has fallen as well.

    The situation outside was similar, the street lights and signal machines weren''t working.

    They were probably working while using redundant power that was left over from the supplying management''s structure. Moreover there was heavy rain.

    The natural light source namely moonlight was blocked by clouds, the visibility outside was the worst.

    ¡´"Master, can we go back like this?"¡µ

    "...I''d prefer not to if it''s possible. Both public transport and taxis won''t be coursing like this, and I would get completely soaked if I walked."

    From the Tenryo family''s house to the Kiritou group''s headquarters there was about fifteen minutes walk. It wasn''t a long distance to walk but the wind was quite strong. She didn''t want to do it if possible.

    Then, Iora came up with something and clapped her hands.

    ¡´"Then how about we stay here today?"¡µ

    "Ha?"

    She said something strange.

    ¡´"If you go back you will be asked to deal with the damn power outage anyway. Instead you can spend the night in this house and concentrate on tomorrow''s test."¡µ

    "Wait I-chan, what kind of selfish thing are your spouting. I won''t allow such a thing."

    "............"

    Fuyuki drew closer to Iora in a hurry. Seeing the two like that Haya started thinking in silence.

    ¡´"Is there a problem?"¡µ

    "A huge one! Not even a friend, just an acquaintance suddenly staying over is no good!"

    ¡´"But you''ve already lent us your bed? It''s no different than that?"¡µ

    "Unfortunately there is a huge difference! Listen, to begin with this house is a place for Brother and Little Sister to love each other without restraints¡ª¡ª"

    ¡´"...ah, I apologize Fuyuki. I finished my business, I''ll disconnect for a while."¡µ

    "Haa?! Wait, I-chan?!"

    Iora melted into the nothingness in order to escape from Fuyuki''s persistence.

    On the other hand, Haya lowered her face and grumbled.

    "...indeed, there''s that way as well. Even if I manage to go back while dripping wet, they''ll work me to death. I wanted to rest properly today and I think nothing of bothering this guy..."

    "No, you actually should."

    Although she was saying that in low voice, her face was high enough to allow them to hear it.

    "...that''s decided. I''ll be bothering you today. You have no right of veto, take care of me, Taiga?."

    As she said that, she made a maddeningly nice smile.

    Part 3

    "You''re not sleeping?"

    It was three o''clock in the night.

    A windstorm and heavy rain rattled outside the window, a quiet voice reached his ear. Taiga who was looking at the ceiling in silence tilted his neck and looked towards the owner of the voice.

    On the edge of the absurdly big king-sized bed¡ª¡ªabout a meter away from him was Haya, she was staring at him.

    "...let me apologize first. If you can''t sleep because of me, I''m sorry."

    "...?"

    He shook his head to protest against her suggestive words, Fuyuki who was hugging his arm moved closer.

    Her sweet smell and the unique feel of a soft body strengthened, making his body temperature to increase by itself.

    I''m completely done for aren''t I, honestly...

    Because of what happened by the sea, his rationality has been blown away completely.

    Although he had been sleeping with her for a month, it''s not that he couldn''t suppress it just because she was beside him. He couldn''t get any sleep the night before either. That''s why he was honestly thankful for the third party that had appeared.

    "What about you? Not going to sleep yet?"

    "That''s because I slept a little bit before. Also... as expected, this situation makes me nervous."

    This situation¡ª¡ªin other words the three of them sleeping on the same bed, was indeed delicate. Rather than unusual, it was something that normally wouldn''t happen.

    ¡ª¡ªAt first Taiga wanted to sleep on the sofa alone.

    However Fuyuki said ''me too'', and they couldn''t drive Haya away from the bed since she was a guest. In the end, they all lay down next to each other in the bed and decided to sleep like that.

    However¡ª¡ª

    "...liar. Someone who''s nervous wouldn''t sleep while dressed like that."

    Instead of wearing pyjamas, the only thing Haya wore was a male shirt.

    Since the size didn''t match her, there was a huge opening that exposed her collarbone and the moderately big twin hills also glimpsed from it. She wasn''t wearing any underwear beneath and everything appeared from beneath because the shirt was slightly too short.

    Honestly, it was poison for his eyes.

    "This? It can''t be helped, this is the only thing I could use."

    "There were a lot of other things there. Why did you use this of all things."

    "Because this was the best thing to sleep in. Also... you like it better like this, don''t you?"

    Haya showed him a mean, tempting smile and raised a hem of the shirt.

    Although he immediately averted his eyes, he caught a glimpse of aqua-blue fabric.

    "To turn red with a single piece of cloth. How unseemly."

    "...you should learn some modesty."

    "Ara, isn''t that something you should tell your sister?"

    He looked at Fuyuki''s chilly appearance, as she clung to his arm.

    Certainly, because it exposed a lot, or rather it exposed her underwear completely, Fuyuki''s neglig¨¦e was more erotic.

    However, the way Haya was dressed was erotic in a different way.

    It was all ''almost visible'' and that ''almost'' attracted his line of sight. Moreover, since Haya usually wore clothes that covered a lot of her skin, the destructive power was tremendous.

    "...oh, that''s right. There''s something I want to pass to you."

    In order to change the topic, he removed a program from his terminal and passed it to Haya.

    She received it and immediately opened a window to glimpse at information inside, she looked up at Taiga with a skeptical look in her eyes.

    "What''s this? This is an attack-configured program. I have no use for it do I?"

    "As if I''d want you to. This is a new program that''s very popular in Kiritou Management''s structure ¡¶Aries¡·¡ª¡ªIt was made by ¡¶Angel¡·."

    The moment she heard the last word, Haya''s eyes turned serious at once. It seemed like she was also aware of its existence.

    "How did you get this?"

    "I got it from an acquaintance who''s looking into it for me."

    Taiga received it from Leon when she was bathing.

    It seemed he must''ve struggled hard to get it since he said "Just three times won''t be enough for this!" and requested an additional reward; since he managed to get it in a single day, Taiga agreed to increase it.

    "...nyaa...Onii..."

    And in response to their voices, Fuyuki leaked out a sweet whisper and rubbed her face on him.

    In response to Fuyuki''s ''I won''t give him to you'' gesture, an indescribable expression appeared on Haya''s face.

    "...you get along well."

    "Well, that''s obvious. The only family we have is each other."

    It was a lie. To be exact they no longer were just a family.

    But Haya wasn''t deceived, she looked down and murmured.

    "...getting along well doesn''t happen just because you''re family. Even if you are directly blood related."

    She felt melancholic and put on a sad smile.

    The only family member of hers that Taiga knew about was her father. And the words ''directly blood related''¡ª¡ªhe understood them to a painful degree.

    "...I''m going to sleep. I''ll wake up early in the morning and analyse this, you too make sure to rest properly."

    Haya said that and turned her back to Taiga. She must''ve been fast asleep for good since she started to breathe deeply in her sleep about ten seconds later.

    "...I said already that I can''t sleep."

    Taiga closed his eyes forcibly. Even if he can''t sleep, he needed to rest his head in order to prepare for tomorrow. However, his determination has been overcome in a matter of seconds.

    A quiet electronic sound could be heard over the sound of wind and rain, and he saw faint light through his half-closed eyelids. At the same time, a pale phosphorescent light appeared on the edge of his field of vision.

    ...Iora?

    There, was Iora who disappeared in the middle of the conversation with Fuyuki. Now that he thought about it, he hasn''t seen her since then and wondered why did she come back now.

    "Iora, heey Iora."

    ¡´"............"¡µ

    She didn''t respond to his calls, she continued to stare at empty space with unfocused eyes. It was as if her soul was missing.

    When Taiga anxiously reached out to her, her eyes finally captured him.

    ¡´"...ah, so it''s Taiga dammit. What is it?"¡µ

    "That''s my line. Earlier you suddenly disappeared, now you suddenly come back. What were you doing?"

    ¡´"Where did I go..."¡µ

    She tilted her neck as if saying ''I don''t remember''.

    Iora disappeared eight hours earlier during the power outage so he asked that... but did she really not remember anything?

    ¡´"So that''s how it was darn it. I disappeared..."¡µ

    She muttered and after twisting her body in the air skilfully, she sat down on top of Taiga''s chest. Although there was no weight since she was a projected image, he felt an illusion of being ticklish.

    Seeing dark emotions on her face, Taiga gently asked.

    "What is it? You have an expression of anxiety on your face?"

    ¡´"Anxiety... so Iora feels anxiety?"¡µ

    "No, don''t ask me. That''s just how it looked to me."

    It was his intuition. There was no basis for that.

    But it seemed like Iora felt something in his words, and while her line of sight was wandering around, she started talking.

    ¡´"...I''m worried about something."¡µ

    Seeing her serious expression Taiga listened quietly. She opened and closed her mouth as if looking for words to say, and asked him a question before long.

    ¡´"What would you do if you were troubling someone important to you?"¡µ

    "...another weird question from you."

    He glanced at Haya who was sleeping beside him. The ''important person'' must have been her.

    But with that said, since the question was quite vague, he couldn''t find a clean answer to it. He pondered about it for a moment, and answered it after applying the situation to himself.

    "I guess... I would try to do something about it myself."

    That''s the kind of person Tenryo Taiga was. Were he to be the cause, he would definitely solve it by himself.

    ¡´"Is that so... so that''s the only thing that can be done."¡µ

    As Taiga answered, Iora put on a resigned expression. Seeing her like that, Taiga added more while quietly whispering.

    "But taking all of it... and shouldering it all would make anyone collapse."

    ¡´"...eh?"¡µ

    He smiled seeing Iora dumbfounded and continued.

    "It doesn''t mean it''ll definitely fail. But people have their limits. It''s unreasonable to do it all alone. Someone like me never noticed such a thing."

    Without anyone whom he could rely on, carving his path by himself was an obvious course of action to him¡ª¡ªthat''s how he was a month ago.

    But he was different now.

    He reunited with Fuyuki, met Rui and Shio and understood that relying on someone else can be strength as well, as well as how precious a thing it was to support each other. He was also told that it''s okay to be spoiled.

    That''s why he could tell it straight.

    "Your Master won''t break down that easily, it''s fine to trouble her to a certain extent. But if you''re still anxious then I''ll promise you. I''ll do something about it."

    ¡´"...Taiga."¡µ

    "Is this answer good enough?"

    Iora gently put both of her hands on her chest, as if locking away something important to her in there.

    ¡´"¡ª¡ªYes. It''s all right now."¡µ

    While saying that, a faint smile bloomed on her face.

    ¡´"I''m relieved with this. Even if something happens Taiga will deal with it."¡µ

    "Hey wait, you gonna leave it all to me?"

    ¡´"Can''t I dammit?"¡µ

    As she curiously tilted her neck and stared at him, Taiga let out a small sigh and answered.

    "It can''t be helped if I you can''t do it. But do your best to make sure you won''t fail."

    ¡´"Understood. I''ll continue my futile resistance."¡µ

    "Futile resistance... oh well, see you tomorrow."

    ¡´"Yes. See you tomorrow."¡µ

    Taiga closed his eyes, and his consciousness was buried in darkness.

    Iora looked down at him, and went back to Haya''s terminal soon after that.

    ¡´"...I''m at a peace of mind. No matter what happens, Taiga will stop me."¡µ

    Quiet, very quiet words that didn''t reach anyone''s ear have been drowned in the sound of falling rain and wind.

    Part 4

    Four days later, the last day of midterms.

    "¡ª¡ªYes, time''s up. Put down your writing utensils."

    Together with the chime''s sound, the class suddenly turned noisy.

    The students began to talk here and there. It was the recoil of the stressful four days, his ''schedule after this'' was already determined, and Taiga fell down on the desk worn out.

    He looked up at Rui and Fuyuki who finished and were getting ready to stand up and leave.

    "You seem really exhausted?, you okay?"

    "Not at all..."

    "How pathetic. It''s been only four days. Rather than that, did you manage not to fail?"

    "I don''t think I will... probably."

    He couldn''t affirm how the last one, modern language went. There were more questions than on the mock test and it was quite hard. That could lead to a drastic change in his score. In the end, he could only wait for the results to come.

    "The results will come in a week, right?"

    "Yes. They will come together with all the other subjects. Brother can continue worrying up until then."

    "...how about you two?"

    "What a dumb question. It''s already decided that I''ll get a perfect score on all subjects."

    "It is?!"

    "Rui-san got about nine out of ten right?"

    Taiga could only sing praises for them in his mind. It was strange to feel inferior because he was surrounded by honour students.

    When everyone left the classroom, Rui clapped her hands.

    "Then let''s all go and play! Where should we go?"

    "Hmm. Let''s try some leisure facilities for once¡ª¡ª"

    "Ah, sorry. I''ve got something to do now, go ahead without me."

    He was to go and help out immediately after the tests are over, Taiga received an email from Haya in the morning telling him to come to the teacher''s building on the first day.

    "...is that so. Then I''ll go together with Rucchan the two of us."

    Openly frustrated, Fuyuki saw him off and Taiga left the classroom. Although he felt a little bit guilty, it was better if he distanced himself from Fuyuki for the time being.

    And the few hours starting from that moment were truly hellish.

    First, he joined Haya and headed to the teacher''s building while carrying precision equipment which was scheduled for use for the day; after that, he was taken to the Student Council Room which was located near the third year''s Cyber Department building. There, he did a different job together with other Student Council officers; he continued to process and fill a huge amount of data together with Haya.

    The time passed as he continued to earnestly hit the keys of a virtual keyboard¡ª¡ª

    "I-it''s over..."

    By the time it was over, outside was already dark.

    Taiga was exhausted after five hours of continuous work and he sprawled out on the borrowed desk. The other members already went back, and the only ones left in the student council room was him and Haya.

    "So the student council has an absurd amount of work like this... you''re doing well not to die from overworking yourselves."

    "Everyone''s an elite in here. This much is still fine."

    Since there was no one else there, Haya returned to her normal self.

    She quickly confirmed the data prepared by Taiga and closed the terminal; she stood up with momentum and lightly stretched.

    "Now then, let''s go back for today. There''s a long weekend starting tomorrow; let''s continue next week."

    "Yeah..."

    The two finished and locked the door behind them and headed towards the linear station together.

    Aside from the Sports Department who were practicing until late, no one from the Cyber Department, which was a genuine cultural-type department, cared enough to stay; the two walked through a dim avenue.

    "...it''s quiet."

    "There''s not many linears coursing at this time. All students other than those living in dorms have already went back."

    Since Kiritou Academy was looking for students from all over the country, it had proper dormitories.

    The student dormitories were lined up in the north, they were flooded by the freshmen who applied every year. By the way, Taiga and Fuyuki also considered entering dormitories at first since it was easy on their money but it was rejected because Fuyuki said "we won''t be able to live together!".

    "Speaking of which, what happened to Iora? I haven''t seen her today."

    "Ahh, she''s became quiet after returning from your home. She no longer comes out. I wonder what kind of weird knowledge is she stocking now..."

    Her eyes showed that she was quite troubled by that. Certainly, she has been quite humorous recently.

    "No matter what form it is, aren''t you pleased that she''s growing? Wasn''t that why you made Iora?"

    "Yes but¡ª...ever since the Reaper incident I couldn''t honestly rejoice over it."

    Previously, Iora was overtaken by a mysterious military consciousness extraction program ¡¶Jail¡· ¡ª¡ªand transformed into what Taiga and the others called¡ª¡ªthe Grim Reaper. That incident triggered her rapid emotional development.

    "...speaking of which, did you find out anything about the ¡¶Reaper¡·?"

    "Nothing. I found ¡¶Jail¡·''s code inside of Iora, but it was restricted so it couldn''t be hacked from outside. I didn''t find even a single lead... oh, that''s right. Look, this."

    Haya passed him a document with data.

    "These are the results I got after analyzing the attack-configured program from before. I also added some information I found about ¡¶Angel¡· in there."

    Taiga looked over the document''s content.

    The summary ''An unwanted program has been embedded into the attack-configured program, judging from from the analysis results the possibility of it being the ¡¶Zygote¡· you told me about is high'' was marked.

    "...¡¶Zygote¡·. So that''s what was built in."

    The parasitic program that infects a virtual body and creates a jet black knight with it''s data. It infected Shio''s virtual body two weeks ago and made them suffer.

    "It''s a very advanced program. Infecting a virtual body and creating another one from its data isn''t something even multiple programmers working in parallel can do."

    "Fuyuki said the same thing. She said the creator must be as good as she was, if not better."

    Haya was one of the senior programmers in the Kiritou company, and quite outstanding among them.

    Even she couldn''t understand half of the ¡¶Zygote¡·''s configuration. The creator was a programmer in a class of his own.

    "If I were to believe your testimony and Saionji-san''s, ¡¶Angel¡· was using Master Code. He must have gotten them either by hacking or it must be one of authorized people, it''s impossible to judge that now."

    As she said that, a single girl came to her mind.

    An extraordinary programmer who perhaps surpassed even Fuyuki and someone who was involved with Kiritou¡ª¡ªthere was only one person like that.

    But that was impossible. It couldn''t be. Since she was already¡ª¡ª

    That''s absurd.

    She shook her head lightly and rejected the the worst scenario she could imagine.

    "I have reported it to the company already but... honestly, I don''t think they will do anything now. They have their hands full with bugs at the moment and won''t listen to them even if I say ''I don''t get it myself but do something about it''."

    "I guess..."

    There wasn''t enough information about it to make such a large company move.

    Even so, the timing of problems appearing overlapped, making him anxious. That could also have been ¡¶Angel¡·''s doing¡ª¡ªthat''s what he suspected.

    "Also, Haya. Is there a possibility the Reaper incident and Angel are related?"

    ".................."

    Haya closed her eyes in order to analyse the possibility.

    That possibility came to her mind two weeks earlier when she became aware of Angel''s existence. Were Angel to be one of Kiritou researchers there was a possibility they could access Iora and the timing would match. It was almost not possible for these incidents to be not related.

    "...fifty-fifty, I would say."

    She squeezed that out after a while, she wasn''t confident despite thinking about it for a while.

    "50%, that low? I have a feeling there definitely is a relation."

    "I also feel like that''s how it is. But no matter how I think about it, I can''t tell what''s ¡¶Angel¡·''s purpose is."

    They got on a linear and sat opposite to each other. They were about ten minutes away from the New City''s central station. The train was quietly running in the night, and the conversation continued.

    "There''s a possibility the criminal did it without purpose, but that would be too far-fetched. Especially tampering with Iora would be too risky, and we don''t know why would he embed ¡¶Jail¡· into Iora. There isn''t enough information to judge it."

    They didn''t have enough data on ¡¶Angel¡·.

    In Cyber World, both voice and physique could be changed and if Master Code were used, it couldn''t be traced. They couldn''t determine it in a situation like this.

    Soon after, the linear arrived at the station and the two of them went out through the ticket gate.

    Haya was going to Kiritou headquarters which was in the opposite direction from Taiga''s house. It was where they parted. After they entered the crowded station, Haya put on a mask of a young lady once again.

    "Now then, Taiga-kun. See you on Monday."

    "Is it fine for me to not do anything tomorrow?"

    "I don''t have any time to spare tomorrow. We''re supposed to work on the problems that recently appeared starting from tomorrow. Although it''s a three-day weekend, there''s no time for me to rest."

    Were it to be her real self she would have sighed, but she only had a meek smile that didn''t disturb her fa?ade. That kind of business-like face looked to me like a stiff mask.

    "...hey, is there anything I could help you with?"

    Before he noticed, he already spontaneously said these words. Surprised by what she heard, Haya turned around. She closed on to him, leaned towards him and whispered.

    "What? You want to work?"

    "I just would feel guilty if you were to fall down like you did before. You seem unable to manage your own physical condition."

    "Ara, so you''re a guy who can spout such reckless stuff with cold blood."

    She laughed merrily at him, but that wasn''t something she had a right to say.

    At the very least he didn''t want her to overdo it in the long run; that would be very risky in a lot of ways.

    "Help me huh... certainly there''s lots of simple tasks you could help me with. But unless the source is dealt with, the amount of work will continue to increase."

    "Can''t you do something about it?"

    "The countermeasure team was formed, but unfortunately there''s nothing that would hint at the solution of the problem. Were Aoko to be still alive, it would have been cleaned up all at once..."

    ¡´"¡ª¡ªThen what about Fuyuki."¡µ

    Suddenly, Iora appeared between the two without any warning.

    "...that was a really sudden of you to come out. Why would Fuyuki-san''s name appear here?"

    ¡´"Fuyuki possesses a considerable amount of programming skills. If it''s her, it can be solved."¡µ

    "...certainly that girl''s skills are great. It might not be as good as Aoko''s, but it''s far beyond mine..."

    In response to Iora''s proposal, Haya placed a hand on her chin and continued to think. Taiga had a premonition it would turn troublesome, but he gave up and looked into the sky.

    "Yup, it''s decided. The date will be... the day after tomorrow should be fine. Take Fuyuki-san and come to Kiritou headquarters. Just as you wished, I''ll let you help me with work."

    And like this, the sibling''s visit to Kiritou''s headquarters was decided.

    Part 5

    "Now then, this much should be enough."

    Inside a room that was wrapped in a pale light, a quiet whisper echoed.

    The ¡¶Angel¡· closed a window it has been tampering with and looked at a huge sphere that had about ten metres in diameter and floated in the middle of the room.

    "Kiritou Group''s headquarter''s structure, the main server... as expected, it''s big."

    It couldn''t be entered without a special passkey, the very core of Kiritou Group. In the cyberspace that managed all the systems stood ¡¶Angel¡·.

    "But since they have their hands full dealing with trouble all over the place, I was able to slip in easily. It was worth it going out of my way to cause that power outage."

    Because of the power outage happening, rather than switching to another computing power source, Kiritou''s headquarters were swamped with a huge amount of complaints. A vast flood of information paralyzed the line temporarily and even if a handful of foreign matter slipped in, no one noticed anything.

    Thanks to that it was able to move freely as well as prepare Tenryo Fuyuki''s ¡¶Prison¡·. All preparations were done, all that was left was to start it.

    "Mu..."

    Suddenly, it felt a discomfort in it''s right arm.

    Electricity ran through its arm nerves, and the arm dropped down losing all its strength.

    "...seems like there''s still some resistance. I thought the ego has been already smashed but... that''s an unexpected tenacity."

    The ¡¶Angel¡· said "Waste of effort" and grabbed its right wrist. A faint spark appeared, and the control over the right arm came back.

    "...with this, it''ll be all over. I won''t let anyone get in the way."

    Two days left until the plan is executed.

    After displaying boiling hot hatred, the ¡¶Angel¡· disappeared from the main server.

    Notes and References

    - 1.¡ü To be exact it refers to ''all you can eat'' type restaurants

 Volume 3, 3 - Countdown

    Volume 3, Chapter 3 - Countdown

    Part 1

    *pipipipi*¡ª¡ª

    It was eight o''clock in the morning.

    The thirty-third floor of Kiritou headquarters building, Haya''s private room.

    After managing to get proper sleep Haya opened her windows and a tremendous sound hit her.

    "...aa...u... ahh¡ª...?"

    It was loud enough to make her block her ears.

    She curled up on the bed for a moment, and then finally got up.

    However, her movements were ''a little bit faster than a zombie'', her aspirations were in pieces at the moment.

    "...ahh¡ª...time is...need to wake up...eh..."

    Her posture broke down after she got down from the bed, she strongly hit the floor with her head.

    "........................I wish sun perished."

    She spat out the curse towards the daylight, which became her daily routine, and headed to the washroom while staggering and smashing against the walls.

    When she washed her face, combed her unruly hair and ate breakfast, it was already nine o''clock. She thought of her appointment as she changed into her usual suit.

    I''ll have to deal with failures first thing in the morning, probably will have to process bits and pieces. Since we don''t know what''s the cause, there''s not much we can do... well, it can''t be helped.

    Responding to the blackout that happened last weekend, Kiritou formed a countermeasures team immediately which started to deal with problems that appeared in succession.

    However, the results were poor. Because of that nearly all of the headquarters'' staff planned holidays were called off.

    Haya stood in the front door and took a deep breath.

    ¡ª¡ªThe moment I step out, I will enter my ''workplace''. That''s what she engraved deep in her mind.

    "...let''s do my best for today."

    It was arranged so that Tenryo Taiga would come at two o''clock in the afternoon. Until then, she needs to hurry and clean up the work, it was a pretty tight schedule.

    Speaking of which, was he able to convince his little sister?

    The other day, it was unknown whether Tenryo Fuyuki will be accompanying him. Although Haya wanted her to come even more so than she wanted Taiga to come, they had their circumstances as well. She didn''t intend to insist on it.

    That girl, she seems to hate me?. No way around it.

    As she was going down the building on the elevator, she touched the terminal with her finger. Iora who was supposed to be projected from it¡ª¡ªwas not there.

    Eh? She''s not there?

    She took a peek inside the terminal, but couldn''t find the AI girl in there. Iora wasn''t there last night already, but Haya didn''t think she wouldn''t be back yet. Although Haya wanted to check where she went, she had work to do, so she closed the terminal''s window.

    Well, she''ll be back sooner or later.

    Haya convinced herself and headed to the laboratory.

    Part 2

    The same day, ten o''clock.

    "And there... fuh."

    A silver haired girl got out from an air-conditioned train and looked at the blue and sunny sky.

    "...finally here."

    Shio let out a small voice and started dragging a carry-bag she wasn''t accustomed to using, and headed to the ticket gate.

    What she was wearing at the moment was an outfit she bought after consulting with Rui, a thin black business shirt and shorts. Rather than cute, it was a clothes coordination that could be described as cool.

    Her stylish outfit coupled with her originally cool appearance attracted the stares of the passers-by, but she didn''t notice it as she focused on carrying her luggage. Since it was a bag equipped with wheels, even the considerably weak Shio could move with it. But since it was filled to the point where it was overflowing and heavy, every time she moved with it, she felt a bodily pain. Shio took a breather after going through the ticket gate.

    "Umm... they said they''ll pick me up but..."

    She looked around the entrance gate through which a violent stream of people leaving for the holidays poured in, searching for her three friends who should have come to pick her up. At the same time she looked at the scenery, in front of her was a brand new city.

    "...it really is nice."

    Words full of envy left her mouth.

    The New City has been developed alongside the Kiritou Group, as the name suggested it was still new. If any extraordinary circumstances were to happen¡ª¡ªthere was no better city to move to.

    It isn''t supposed to be a refuge... but that''s how it appears to be.

    Karasuba wasn''t a place for her.

    She has been treated like a ghost, it would make no difference whether she was there or not. In order to leave that place, she came to New City.

    Shio didn''t know yet whether her choice was correct or not. There was both anxiety and hesitation in her mind.

    "Ahh, there she is. Heey, Shio-chan!"

    Although she was sentimental after arriving at an unknown place, her consciousness returned as a brisk voice sounded in the middle of the crowd. She noticed three people who were walking towards her.

    ...if I think about that, no wonder I''ll be anxious.

    She locked away her own hesitation and started pulling her luggage as she walked towards them.

    Why has Shio come to New City¡ª¡ªto explain the reason for that, we have to trace back in time a little.

    Putting aside the results, Taiga has overcome the midterms safely yesterday, which was the first day of the three-day weekend. After that, the four of them went to subdue a powerful virus ¡¶Crom Crouch¡·, and after a fierce battle, they won against it. A small uproar happened after that, it happened as they were sitting in the reserved seats in one of the establishments in central city.

    """You want to live alone?!"""

    Their surprised voices overlapped.

    "I-is it that weird?"

    Shio who was drinking a bright red juice panicked seeing the reaction of the three.

    Although for her it seemed like a small party and she wanted to chat a bit, what she told them out of the blue left them speechless. Of course, it was a natural reaction.

    "...did Karasuba tell you to leave?"

    "That''s not it, I decided it for myself. I want to leave the house and live elsewhere. From now on, I want to look for a new way to live my life."

    Among these words which were truth, there was also a lie.

    She didn''t have the determination. She just wanted to break through the status quo. Let aside a clear goal, she didn''t even have any plans for the future.

    Even so, she had to act¡ª¡ªbecause she thought like that, she decided to do it despite hesitating.

    "...is that so."

    Fuyuki stared at Shio''s eyes to check whether what''s inside matches her words.

    Certainly, for her to live with her family would be mentally stressing, so they agreed on her leaving the house. However, living alone was another thing.

    Karasuba Shio was an Ojou-sama. Moreover it was as she had three signs protruding from her head that said ''sheltered girl''.

    If she''s left alone, she''ll get exploited by someone.

    I need to do something¡ª¡ªFuyuki was burning with sense of responsibility.

    "If you haven''t decided where you want to live, I recommend New City."

    "That''s what I intended to do at the beginning, since everyone lives there. But I couldn''t find a vacant room..."

    "Ah, that''s possible. Since it''s a cutting edge and advanced city, there''s a lot of people looking for places to stay."

    The apartment Tenryo siblings purchased on the top floor was vacant because of a coincidence.

    Were it to suddenly turn unavailable, they too would have a hard time finding a room for them. The students flock to the Kiritou dormitories because of similar circumstances.

    "Let me ask first, do you have money? It takes a lot to live alone."

    "I have plenty. I wasn''t always a shut-in."

    "No, that''s not something you should say while puffing your chest proudly."

    "By the way, how much do you have?"

    "Umm, this much?"

    Shio displayed the data on her savings in a window. Fuyuki looked at the lump of numbers for a few seconds¡ª¡ª

    "...it seems like we''ll have Shii-chan treat us a lot."

    "Why?!"

    As if she saw something absurd, her pupils displayed shock.

    Since she wasn''t convinced, Fuyuki started tickling Shio''s whole body. Rui who was next to Taiga whispered in secret.

    "How much do you think it was?"

    "I can''t even imagine."

    Since Fuyuki who has been earning money as she worked for Karasuba had such a reaction, it must have been a considerable amount. Fuyuki who has always been working hard, and (though it sounds bad) Shio who has always been a shut-in. It was clear how absurd a difference between the worlds they were born into was.

    Finally Fuyuki stopped tickling Shio and returned to the two.

    "I-I thought I''d die from laughing..."

    "You reap what you sow."

    A somewhat refreshed Fuyuki put a hand on her hip and said.

    "...for the time being it seems like it''s unreasonable to worry about financial issues. But Shii-chan is naive to think she can manage living alone."

    "Naive... I don''t want to be told that by Hime-chan."

    Although what Shio said was correct, but there was also some truth in what Fuyuki said. Rui followed up with a question.

    "Cleaning, laundry, cooking. You have to do it all alone right? Can you do that?"

    "I investigated it... but I''m anxious."

    "Then, let''s put it to a test."

    "Test?"

    "Yes. Whether you''re capable of living alone or not, we will perform an examination. If you pass, we won''t say anything. But if it fails... Shii-chan will have to give up on living alone until you''re capable enough."

    The four met up safely and left the central station, first thing they did was to carry out Shio''s check-in.

    They were worried whether they could find accommodations for her, but since it was a three-day weekend they were able to rent a room in a business hotel without any problems.

    In fact, Fuyuki and Taiga said "You can stay in our place for a few days" inviting her, but she refused. Instead, Shio said "I want to stay in a hotel".

    After that, the three of them took Shio to many places in the New City. Time passed by very fast, and before long the sun reached its apex.

    "Now then, feel free to go in."

    "Y-yup. Sorry to intrude."

    Somewhat tense, Shio took off her shoes and entered the apartment the Tenryo siblings were living in. Rui followed her while holding ingredients she took from ¡¶Paradise¡·.

    "So Onii-san and Hime-chan are living in here..."

    Fuyuki and Rui put the ingredients in the refrigerator while Taiga prepared coffee. Shio looked around inside. She''s never been outside of the Karasuba''s premises, so for her to see someone else''s home was something new.

    Then, she opened one of the rooms curiously and peeked inside.

    That''s a huge bed... the bedroom? But why are there two pillows... c-can it be that they sleep together?!

    She imagined the scene, and her cheeks started to feel hot.

    Shio hurried back to the living room, Taiga has already finished pouring coffee and he shook his head seeing her flushed face.

    "Did something happen?"

    "Ah, no! It''s nothing!"

    In order to deceive him, she immediately sipped from the cup she received, but since there were no sugar nor milk inside, her face distorted from bitterness.

    "What are you doing. Come on, drink this."

    "Thank you..."

    He passed her the caf¨¦ au lait he made for Fuyuki, she started to sip it. After Fuyuki and Rui came over, the four of them took a break.

    Then, Taiga realized Shio''s state was weird, she seemed uncomfortable.

    Although at first glance it seemed as if she was relaxed as she sat on the sofa, occasionally she made an unnatural gesture with her leg. That movement was awkward too.

    Rui also seemed to have noticed it, and she whispered to Taiga in secret.

    "...does her leg hurt? Isn''t it better if Rui-san made lunch?"

    "Indeed. Can you do that?"

    "Leave it to me. Fuyuki, I''ll prepare lunch, can you help me?"

    "Eh? We should be testing Shii-chan today¡ª¡ª"

    "Leave that for next time. Come on, let''s go."

    While saying that, Rui took Fuyuki''s hand and pulled her to the kitchen. Taiga waited for the two to leave and asked quietly.

    "...Shio. You, did you train today?"

    "Uu..."

    As he pointed it out, she looked away.

    She was too fatigued from just walking around for two hours. She must''ve exhausted herself before coming to New City. When he looked closely, he realized her upper arms and shoulders were trembling, it was probably muscle pain.

    "I told you in the beginning. The purpose of it isn''t to hurt the body, what''s important is to continue training every day and increase the pace every day. First of all you need to increase your stamina."

    "I''m sorry... because it was the first time meeting with Onii-san in the real world, I wanted to show you the results of my training..."

    She lowered her head slightly and looked up at him from below, her face was pale.

    It was unconscious but that gesture stirred the desire to protect in him, Taiga let out a small sigh and knelt in front of her.

    "Shio, extend your leg. I''ll give you a light massage."

    "E-ehh?!"

    "It''ll be painful for you to walk like this. It should be better if your muscles relax."

    He knew too well the discomforts of muscle pain. They couldn''t be avoided when one trained their body and it could be painful for those not used to it.

    Shio''s line of sight was wandering around, it must have still hurt, she slowly held out her light leg to Taiga.

    "I''ll take off your socks."

    "...yes."

    He gently took them off.

    Her snow white bare foot was revealed, Taiga wrapped it with both of his hands and pressured it with his fingertips.

    "Nn...ouch..."

    A strange feeling ran through her every time his fingers pressed her feet, and she let out a quiet moan.

    "It might be a little bit painful at first, but bear with it. It''ll feel good soon enough."

    "F-feel good..."

    She knew very well she misunderstood it. But because she imagined ''that'' kind of act, she hung her head embarrassedly.

    Taiga ignored what she said and continued to carefully rub the soles of her feet.

    ...Shio''s feet are really beautiful.

    Her skin was silky and smooth.

    She must have never ran before. To a point he thought it was impossible, but her feet were incredibly soft. His fingers sank in with a light touch, he felt like wanting to touch it forever.

    Naturally, with this massage his body started to heat up.

    "Fua... a, kh..."

    The pain has been gradually fading, and comfort replaced it.

    Warmth spread around her body and the tiredness left her body as if she was soaking in a bathtub, she couldn''t focus no longer and started daydreaming.

    Ah... this posture...

    She looked in front of her, Taiga was kneeling in front of her and he held her foot in his hands.

    Somehow Onii-san... he holds it as if I was very fragile...

    As she thought that, a feeling went down her spine.

    Heat came from her back which melted her reason, and her breathing roughened. But the heat didn''t subside.

    Hime-chan is sleeping with Onii-san on that bed... they must be in close contact and hugging.

    And a sight of the two, one overlapping the other was vividly portrayed in her mind.

    ¡ª¡ªAnd the fact that a person who would do that kind of thing was servicing her as if she was very brittle, made her irresistibly thrilled.

    Fuyuki and Rui who were in the kitchen couldn''t see their figures. But what if they were to come back? Surely they would be jealous. They might get angry.

    With such a racy situation, and because she was doing it in secret from her best friend, she heated up further.

    "Ahhn...?."

    She couldn''t believe such a bewitching voice came out from her own mouth.

    "...please, further up."

    "Got it."

    According to what Shio said, Taiga slid his fingers towards above her ankles. He carefully rubbed her delicate legs which seemed like they would break with too much force.

    "Nn...fue..."

    Unconsciously, Shio put the index finger of her light hand into her mouth.

    She rummaged in her mouth aroused and mushy, she entwined her tongue around the finger to dissipate the heat.

    In the middle of that conduct, ''what to do if Onii-san notices it'', her mind was occupied with such a thought; were he to raise his head just a little bit, he would notice that she lost her cool and was unable to think properly.

    My head''s all mushymushy... it''s turning weird...

    She couldn''t calm the feeling she had for the first time.

    I don''t care what happens next¡ª¡ªjust when she thought that, Taiga moved his fingers away. Shio immediately removed the finger from her mouth.

    "W-what is it?"

    "Hm? I''m finished with the right leg so I though I''d switch."

    "Aa, i-is that so... that''s good..."

    "What''s good?"

    Suddenly a voice came over from the kitchen, Shio felt as if her heart was going to jump out of her chest.

    As she turned around in a hurry, she saw Fuyuki carry plates of sandwiches who gave them a questioning look.

    "...what are you doing, you two."

    "It seems like she has muscle pain in her legs so I gave her a light massage. Come on, hold out the other leg,"

    "Uehh?! I-it''s fine already!"

    "No, there''s no point unless I massage both legs¡ª¡ª"

    "It doesn''t hurt any more! Thank you very much!"

    As expected, she didn''t have courage to continue this in front of Fuyuki, Shio put on her socks and hurried to the washroom. Fuyuki and Taiga looked at her back and tilted their neck with puzzled expressions at the same time.

    "Haa... haaa..."

    Shio entered the washroom and repeatedly took big breaths.

    Her shame appeared after all this time. Her heart rampaged as if it wanted to crack her ribs, and the face that was reflected in the mirror was red like an apple.

    "W-why have I... such a thing..."

    The more she tried to remember it, the more her body heated up. Even though she washed her face with cold water, the feeling of her brain melting didn''t disappear.

    ¡ª¡ªWhat was I thinking back then?

    She wanted to snatch away her best friend''s dear person. She got incredibly excited by such a perverted fantasy. Just by thinking about snatching away someone''s precious thing, she couldn''t suppress herself¡ª¡ªjust by imagining it, her heart started beating hard.

    "Will he... give me another massage..."

    Shio licked her finger and her face reddened further, she splashed it with cold water again after that.

    Part 3

    After that, the four ate sandwiches prepared by Rui, and spent an hour while relaxing themselves in the Tenryo''s home. After that, right before 2 p.m.¡ª¡ª

    "...it really is an absurdly big building."

    What towered in front of Taiga, was a building that seemed big even among the multiple skyscrapers of the New City. The symbol of the city and made by a large company that has developed together with it.

    ¡ª¡ªKiritou Group''s headquarters.

    "They might be an emerging group, but they''re one of the four major corporations. This is the least they need, otherwise they''d be a joke. Karasuba has several sites of this size."

    Fuyuki who was right next to him as he looked up at the building responded. Judging from her tone of voice, she was feeling grumpy, she probably prepared her emotions for the meeting with the girl they were supposed to meet.

    "...I didn''t think you would come along. Don''t you hate Haya?"

    "I hate her. But I don''t want you and that woman to stay alone together."

    She said that she will go together with him after they finished eating lunch.

    Although he half-given up after inviting her and getting refused multiple times, she seemed to have a change of mind.

    "Since Little Sister has come let''s finish it as fast as possible and go back. Both Rucchan and Shii-chan are waiting."

    As she said so, she sounded a small bell that was attached to the tip of her sleeve. She changed before leaving home, the clothes she wore were completely different from the ones she had in the morning.

    The refreshing sound came from the parka with black and red plaids. The bells were attached around the wrists on the long sleeves, the hood had a cat ears decoration attached. From between the twenty centimetres mini skirt and high knee-socks peeked the area called ''absolute territory''.

    Overall, the coordination made her seem like a cat.

    "It''s the first time I see these clothes."

    "This outfit has been chosen by Rucchan, does it suit me?"

    Fuyuki made a twirl in order to show it off. Her figure was lovely and irresistible, so Taiga dodged the issue and averted his eyes.

    "I-is it okay to wear that now? You should have left it for a more important occasion."

    "No, it''s fine to use them now. These are battle clothes after all."

    As she stared at him, Taiga drew back a single step. That''s when a mechanical sound of an alarm bell set in the terminal rang out. It was time.

    "...let''s go."

    "Yes. Let''s quickly finish this up."

    The two entered the huge building''s first floor, and arrived at the entrance hall.

    "¡ª¡ªToo slow. You''re late, Taiga."

    A scolding voice came from the side. They checked the time on reflex, it was only about thirty seconds late from the promised time.

    "...can''t you overlook a one minute error?"

    "Nope. Don''t you know the phrase ''time is money''? A guy like you who makes me wait when I''m damn busy like this needs to be punished."

    Haya was wearing a suit that as usual, didn''t fit her. She got up from a sofa gaining a strong momentum.

    There was no one else other than the three of them in the large entrance hall, besides them there were only service drones. Haya''s tone was that of her real self. He wanted to protest against that unreasonable decision of hers, but before he could do that Fuyuki went in front.

    "That''s quite a bossy attitude from you to someone whom you asked for help, you female fox. At this rate, I might just do an U-turn and go back."

    "Oh, you really came. Certainly I asked for you to come, but don''t you think coming on time after accepting is an obvious thing to do?"

    "Grrr... that wicked backchat of yours is getting on my nerves..."

    Easily defeated, Fuyuki glared at Haya with chagrin on her face. However Haya completely ignored it and walked calmly towards the two.

    "Since there''s no time, let''s hurry up and move. I''ll explain everything in detail in my room, come."

    Fuyuki and Taiga followed right behind her; rather than towards the high-speed elevator that was in the centre of the hall, they got on the cargo elevator that was on the hall''s edge, behind the emergency evacuation doors.

    "Why not use that elevator?"

    "That''s because you two are outsiders for the time being. In order not to make it troublesome later on, I chose a route where you won''t get caught by security. Or maybe I should have ignored that?"

    "...no, I''m thankful."

    Fuyuki obediently showed her gratitude.

    As someone who escaped from another of the four major companies ''Karasuba''m she didn''t want to remain in any footage. That was also one of reasons she was reluctant to come to Kiritou headquarters.

    After the elevator rode up to the thirty-third floor, they proceeded down the empty hallway. The entrance hall was the same, there were no signs of life.

    "What about other employees?"

    "They all log in to the headquarters'' structure from their own laboratories. Normally a few dozen of them would be working in the real world, but currently they''re too busy to do that because of the defects all over."

    "This doesn''t seem like the healthiest place to work in..."

    "All cyber-related companies seem similar. Karasuba''s staff also work inside the structure."

    They arrived in her room while chatting.

    Haya opened the lock with her terminal and they entered; she sat down on the sofa seemingly tired. Taiga and Fuyuki looked around the room curiously.

    "...let me tell you something, checking out a lady''s room is rude."

    "No, I know that but... I didn''t think there would be a private room like this in the headquarters building."

    "I feel the same. A refrigerator by the bed, table, kitchen and tableware... there''s even a uniform here."

    "Well, that''s because I live here."

    She replied to Taiga''s and Fuyuki''s question as if it was troublesome.

    "The last time I returned home was... six, seven years ago?"

    "Seven years, weren''t you an elementary-schooler back then?"

    "Even if I went back, I would be alone; there''s no difference."

    The room indeed gave off a feeling that someone lived in it, she must have used it for a long time.

    It was more spacious than an average apartment and at the thirty-third floor the view was first class. If one were to overlook the fact there''s no partition between the kitchen and living room, one could live comfortably in it.

    "What do you do about meals?"

    "I cook for myself. I have ingredients delivered every day. Going shopping every day is a hassle... hey, it has nothing to do with this."

    *bam*, she clapped her hands to get the attention of the siblings. She didn''t call them here to chat.

    "I''ll tell you what you are going to do. Especially Fuyuki-san who will be acting alone, make sure you listen."

    "Little Sister will be alone?"

    "I want you to examine the main server miss. I don''t know whether you''re aware of it or not, but it''s impossible to log in to the main server by using normal means."

    "I know that much. On top of it having to be unlocked, one needs to log in to its coordinates directly."

    The server machine was installed deep underground and couldn''t be accessed physically, it couldn''t be accessed from Elysion either. That''s why, in order to access it, one had to release two layers of security.

    There was a small scale structure that acted as a barrier for the main server. It could be released only from the Kiritou headquarters'' structure.

    And the second, was phasing into the server itself.

    The small-scale structure that acted as its operation panel wasn''t connected to the headquarters and couldn''t be accessed normally. Even in Kiritou the amount of people who knew its coordinates was limited, it could be entered only by adding its coordinates as a default location in the Arclight.

    With these two security methods, the main server has been completely shut out from the outside.

    "I know the coordinates of the server. The problem is the electronic barrier, there is no choice but to release it directly from the security room.

    "Can''t you do it somehow with your privileges as the President''s daughter?"

    "It''s not that easy. That''s why I will sneak in and unlock it."

    ""...ha?""

    Hearing these disturbing words that suddenly appeared, the siblings'' voices responded in sync.

    "...what''s with your expressions. You didn''t think there was a legitimate way to allow outsiders to access the server, did you?"

    "No, I thought you would do something about it with your privileges... rather, isn''t that a crime?"

    "That''s if we get caught. There''s no problem as long as we don''t."

    The siblings were amazed, hearing that logic of hers. Haya hung her head, made a dark smile and cursed.

    "Just how much do you think I was inconvenienced by these defects... I could only sleep for thirty minutes yesterday and had to listen to that shitty old man''s orders... I''m at my limit..."

    It seemed like her thinking simplified as much as it could because of the frustration and fatigue.

    In other words ''as long as she can solve it, she won''t stop at anything''.

    "...well, if I were to go back after coming this far it would be a waste of time and I would be troubled if the damage was spread to ¡¶Aries¡· any more than it already has. I''ll do it."

    "Is it fine?"

    "Something like committing a crime never bothered me in the first place."

    "...I guess you''re right."

    When he thought about it, it was certainly true that Fuyuki continued to hack in and access things without authorization on a daily basis, even Taiga did ''such a thing'' before. It was too late to mind it.

    "So. Haya, specifically what do we do?"

    "Firstly, I will dive alone to allow Taiga to move freely. After that, I will go with you to the security room to release the lock. Fuyuki-san will log in to the server room when signalled by us and find the cause of the defects... something like that."

    "So Little Sister has to stay on standby for a while."

    "I''ll send you the coordinates by mail when everything is ready. The headquarters can''t tell what''s happening in the server room so you can take your time."

    "I''ll finish it in an hour."

    "Ohh, how reliable."

    After telling them what their roles were, Haya confirmed the time on the terminal.

    2:15 p.m.¡ª¡ªIf she wasn''t wrong, the President should have a regular meeting with executives starting from 2:30 p.m.. Just in case, it would be best to trespass on the main server at that hour.

    "All right, I''ll go ahead first. Taiga will come in, in fifteen minutes."

    There were three Arclights located in the corner of the room¡ª¡ªtwo chair-type medium sized Arclights and one small headgear-type Arclight¡ª¡ªshe selected a medium-sized machine and immediately started the log-in process to enter the virtual world.

    "...then I''ll use this one."

    Taiga picked up a small machine without hesitation. Then, he saw characters carved in on the medium-sized machine beside him.

    AOKO ? ASUMI...? Asumi Aoko, that was the name of Haya''s friend wasn''t it.

    He wondered why would there be three Arclights, but it seemed like one of the medium-sized ones belonged to Asumi Aoko. Since a medium-sized Arclight was hard to move, she must have been here very often.

    Well, that doesn''t matter.

    Taiga cleared his thoughts and leaned on the sofa. A small-type Arclight didn''t have anything to support the body so he needed to sit on something.

    Five minutes later, Taiga closed his eyes and continued to wait for the specified time¡ª¡ªthat''s when he felt a small weight on his knees.

    "...Fuyuki?"

    "............"

    When he opened his eyes he saw Fuyuki sitting on top of his knees and facing him.

    "What is it?"

    Despite feeling her soft buttocks and thighs, he gently asked under the guise of being calm.

    She hesitated for a while, and soon after, she finally began to squeeze the words out.

    "...Brother, what do you think about me?"

    "What you say¡ª¡ª"

    "Recently, I think you''ve been avoiding your little sister... does it mean that because of what happened, you have come to hate her?"

    His little sister''s eyes started to overflow with tears.

    She must have meant the incident at the sea, while Taiga avoided the topic and, as not to stay with her alone, he intentionally made it so there was someone else with them. However, it wasn''t because he hated Fuyuki, but because he wouldn''t be able to maintain his reason unless he did that. If anything, it was just the opposite from hating her.

    But Fuyuki didn''t think of it like that. No, it would be too much to ask for her to guess it.

    As a result, she started thinking that she has been hated by him because she went out of control back then¡ª¡ªa mass of negative emotions has pushed her in a negative direction.

    ...what am I doing, really.

    He was ashamed of making assumptions on his own while in front of his anxious little sister.

    That she would be beside him even if he acted firmly and didn''t answer to her attempts to get closer¡ª¡ªhe forced such a convenient delusion on her. He should have known about her insecurity ever since the incident with Shio happened. Although she finally summoned courage and approached him, rather than them getting closer to each other, he had distanced himself from her.

    She was more and more insecure, uneasy and anxious, but she still continued to stay beside him without running away.

    It''s my fault, isn''t it.

    Fuyuki honestly relayed her feelings to him.

    That''s why¡ª¡ªhe had to respond to them properly.

    "...sorry."

    "Ah..."

    He tightly hugged his trembling little sister.

    Her small body was soft and warm, a sweet scent spread from her glossy black hair making his heart beat rapidly. Taiga took Fuyuki''s hand and put it on his chest.

    "My heart, it''s beating like mad, isn''t it?"

    "...yes. *thump* *thump*, it''s on a rampage."

    In order to feel his heartbeat better, Fuyuki placed her palm on his chest. And as the two were in an even closer contact, his heart started to pound adequately harder.

    "...the reason for it to become like that, is you."

    "Eh...?"

    As she threw him a confused glance, Taiga felt a slight irritation.

    Why does this little sister of his who''s unusually sharp suddenly become slow when it comes to things like this¡ª¡ªhe stared straight into Fuyuki''s eyes and declared.

    "I told you already! That''s how it turns out when I''m with you!"

    Hearing Taiga''s words, her expression froze.

    And suddenly, large tears poured from her eyes. Taiga panicked because it was so sudden, he cradled her head and stroked it.

    "W-what is it?"

    "Uu....ah, that''s... I''m so happy..."

    She continued to cry like a child. She was so very happy she couldn''t help it¡ª¡ªdirectly hit by those emotions, she rested her head on his chest.

    "Finally... my feelings reached Onii..."

    Fuyuki grasped Taiga''s head with both of her hands and turned his head towards her, and her face approached him.

    There was no reason for him to refuse it.

    Their lips touched lightly.

    It happened only for a second at most. Fuyuki immediately moved her face away and stared at Taiga before she overlapped his lips with his once again. This time it was a passionate kiss during which they were taking turns to breathe.

    "Nn...chu...fua...ammu..."

    They were engrossed in seeking each other out.

    They didn''t stop, they didn''t even think of stopping.

    Only wanting to convey the passion in their hearts to the other¡ª¡ªthey repeatedly kissed while thinking of that.

    "Oniii... I lub you..."

    There were five more minutes left until the time specified by Haya came, their lips didn''t leave each other until then.

    Part 4

    Meanwhile, Rui and Shio who parted from the Tenryo siblings were inside of a shop located in a corner of New City.

    "Shio-chan, how about that table? The price is reasonable and the design is pretty nice?"

    Shio put a hand on her chin and looked at the antique table Rui recommended from various angles. She couldn''t tell if the price was good since she didn''t know the market, but she thought that a wooden furniture wasn''t bad.

    "...yes. I think it''s good."

    "Okay, then I''ll add it to the list¡ª"

    Rui took a photo of the table and its price, she also entered the name of shop into file. There were some goods already marked on the memo; after looking around the store they found the table, they left it.

    "We''ve steadily decided on the potential furnishings."

    "It''s all thanks to Rui-chan''s assistance, I wouldn''t be able to choose it alone."

    For her who had no knowledge whatsoever, the idea of ''choosing the furniture'' didn''t even appear in her mind. While she was grateful to Rui for mentioning it, she was also apologetic.

    ...I don''t really need to decide on anything by myself, do I.

    Even though she said she will live alone, she couldn''t do anything on her own. Just because she wanted to run away from her family she troubled her friends¡ª¡ªshe hated herself for that.

    "You''ve been making a difficult expression for a while now, are you worried about something?"

    Rui asked her that when they sat down on a bench in the park to take a break. Shio touched her face and asked timidly.

    "...so I made such an expression."

    "Yup. If you want you can consult with Rui-san?"

    She put on a friendly smile as she said that. Somewhat enveloped in that smile, Shio confessed what was troubling her.

    "...I see. You don''t know whether you made the right decision or not, you don''t have confidence."

    "In the end, I''m just running away again... I don''t have any reason to live alone aside from wanting to distance myself from my family..."

    That was what made her hesitate.

    Despite wanting to take a step forward, her leg was clinging to the past, it was an emotion which resembled mud.

    "¡ª¡ªThen why don''t you find a more positive reason."

    Rui easily cut off the chains that were binding her.

    "Running away, fleeing, those kinds of words cause negative image and feelings. What about... Shio-chan, you were looking for a house in New City, right?"

    "Y-yes. Being together with everyone is fun after all..."

    "Then just make that your reason. Whether its Fuyuki or Taiga, whoever. ''Wanting to be together with''. Isn''t that a very positive thing?"

    "...but."

    "Also, it''s just Rui-san''s selfish opinion, but I think running away is not such a bad thing. As long as you find something after running away, I think it''s a great thing to do."

    Running away is all right¡ª¡ªRui''s words lodged themselves in Shio''s chest.

    It wasn''t that her hesitation disappeared. Rui just showed her a different point of view. But that gave her the courage to take a step ahead.

    "...thank you, Rui-chan."

    "You''re welcome. ¡ª¡ªWell then! Now that you''ve decided it yourself, you need to overcome the test to convince Fuyuki. Let''s go back and do special training!"

    "S-special training?"

    "Even if the test doesn''t happen, you still need to get better at housework. Now, lezzgo?!"

    "A-awawa..."

    The two girls started to make a commotion and disappeared in the crowd.

    Part 5

    "...now then, with this the electronic barrier has been dealt with."

    Inside of Elysion, in a corner of Kiritou headquarters'' structure.

    Haya managed to sneak into the security room and tamper with the settings there. She raised her head up, Taiga who was watching whether anyone was coming finally loosened his shoulders.

    "Finally... it took a while."

    "Well, it is a barrier protecting the server room. Releasing it is a complex process in itself. Rather, isn''t it your fault for coming late? What were you doing?"

    As Haya stared at him, Taiga unconsciously raised a hand to his lips. Because he was kissing like crazy with Fuyuki he forgot about the time, but he couldn''t say that.

    "...well, that''s fine. Let''s hurry and get out. Even if all the employees are busy, there''s no guarantee that nobody will come."

    Normally there would be employees in the security room, and even Haya wouldn''t be able to move freely in there. But now that they were all pressured to deal with a huge number of bugs that appeared frequently, even the minimum amount of people assigned to it have been relocated. Thanks to that, they were able to sneak in.

    "Even so... those clothes of yours, they seem weird no matter how many times I see them."

    "Sorry about that. They don''t suit me anyway."

    Taiga grumbled disgruntled, he was wearing a black formal suit. Even though he had a neatly tied necktie, he didn''t look like an employee.

    "Ara, I didn''t say they don''t suit you? I''m just used to seeing you in school uniform. It just feels like it''s overdoing it."

    "So you''re making fun of me after all."

    "Could you stop pouting? I explained already why you need a suit."

    Even if he was with Haya, he couldn''t just walk around in the Kiritou Structure while wearing plain clothes.

    And so, he used a suit''s data to dress himself, he couldn''t get used to this type of clothing. He felt restless and didn''t want to wear them for too long.

    "Lets go then. Until Imouto-san finished her work I''m going to have you work your ass off as well."

    "Hey hey..."

    They contacted Fuyuki after taking down the barrier and sent her the server coordinates and left the security room at a brisk pace. Thanks to Taiga sensing people around, they were able to leave without bumping into anyone.

    In order to return to the top, instead of using an elevator, they headed to a transfer circle (A point that allowed transferring. A huge stream of people appeared and disappeared from there able to transition indefinitely). They passed by dozens of staff in the meantime, it was full of people unlike the headquarters building in the real world. It seemed to be true that all the staff were logged into the structure.

    By the way, since she was in front of people, Haya turned into her fa?ade-mode.

    "Even though it was so quiet in the real world."

    "That''s because all the staff are logged in. The only thing in the real world that moves are the reception drones."

    "And what about the people who are visiting?"

    "They are being connected to the support that''s in here. Logging out for every visitor would be a hassle."

    "That''s being lazy."

    "All cyber-related companies are like that, you know? A researcher wouldn''t log out every time someone wants to ask them a few questions."

    "It''s a miracle their physique doesn''t break down... ah, I see. Medium-sized Arclights come with supporting functions don''t they."

    In addition to life support functions, medium-sized machines came with a few other ones as well.

    Thanks to that people were able to stay logged in for a week. That said though, there were cases of people dying due to debilitation because of diving in cyber world for too long.

    They arrived at the transfer point as they talked.

    "...eh? Aren''t we going back?"

    "No, there''s a limit to how much we can do in there. We''re going to work in another room."

    Although Taiga thought they will go back to the login point at the thirty-third floor, Haya set the transfer location to the thirty-fourth floor. Since there were thirty-five floors in total, it was one floor below the top.

    "...oh, right. Iora, it''s about time you came back. Come out."

    Just before starting the transfer, Haya called out to the empty space behind her.

    Responding to her voice, Iora appeared with a phosphorescent light and bowed. Seeing that gesture made Taiga feel somewhat uncomfortable.

    ¡´"Is there anything, Master?"¡µ

    "Don''t ''is there anything'' me. Why haven''t you shown yourself up until now?"

    ¡´"I was in a different structure."¡µ

    "Geez... did I let you roam a bit too freely?"

    Haya sighed and started the transfer circle, moving to a floor about sixty metres away was instantaneous in the virtual reality. It seemed like there weren''t any labs on the floor they entered, there were almost no people in the hallway. As they looked, they could only see men and women in suits walk towards them from the front.

    Then, Haya''s movement stopped.

    Seeing her suddenly stop, Taiga followed her line of sight. Rather than at the men and women in front, she looked at the man between them. Even Taiga knew that man.

    ...Kiritou Kouya.

    The leader of the Kiritou Group, Haya''s father.

    He saw the photo of the school''s founder, but the real thing had a really cold look in his eyes. The woman beside him must have been his secretary. They must have noticed them because the woman whispered to Kiritou Kouya.

    Kouya looked up and his gaze met with Haya''s.

    "...so you still haven''t disposed of that junk."

    The one who spoke first was Kouya. He looked towards Iora who was floating above Haya''s shoulder.

    "I''ve told you before. You should dispose something as useless as an AI right away."

    "...I apologize Father. I cannot obey that command."

    With a voice as sharp and cold as ice, Haya responded quietly.

    "You should also have understood the rarity of this AI ?Iolite. As long as it''s kept in storage it will definitely be useful in the fut¡ª¡ª"

    "There is no need for that. There''s nothing we can obtain from that AI."

    He cut in in the middle of Haya''s sentence as if it was not worth listening to. As Haya tried to refute, the secretary broke in between them.

    "President, it''s almost time for the regular meeting. Please hurry."

    "Got it."

    Kouya responded shortly and passed by Haya as if it was a waste of time to talk with her. He glanced at Taiga who stood behind for a moment, but soon after he lost interest and disappeared after entering the transfer circle.

    The hallway turned silent once again.

    Taiga couldn''t find any words to say, and just stared at Haya silently. About ten seconds later, Haya formed a fist and hit the wall with all her strength, she made a small sigh.

    "...let''s go, Taiga-kun."

    As she looked up, she had still the same meek smile. No, it wasn''t the same at all.

    Although she had the mask of a yamato nadeshiko on her face, recently he became able to peek through the mask at her ''true self''. But he couldn''t even imagine what kind of emotions she felt at the moment.

    A perfect daughter of the President¡ª¡ªher current appearance was the embodiment of these words.

    "The room in that corner. Please follow me."

    "...okay."

    He followed Haya whose emotionless smile disappeared and entered the room.

    The room was silent, the only thing that sounded inside were electronic sounds as the data passed through.

    The two continued to work wordlessly. It was an incredible amount of work for them to fix the data that was falling apart, they proceeded at high speed.

    "...all right, with this it''s done¡ª¡ª"

    "I''m done over here."

    Taiga took a step towards her and passed the data to her, Haya let out a voice impressed.

    "I already thought so earlier when you helped me out, but your dynamic vision and reflexes are outstanding. You''re really suited to simple tasks like these."

    "Is that... any good?"

    Fifteen minutes after they started working, the room that was originally flooded with crystals was cleaned up. Although there were three of them (Iora didn''t say anything and just continued to work in silence), he was wondering if there was any real meaning for him to tidy it up.

    "...hey Taiga. You''re living alone with your little sister, aren''t you?"

    Unexpectedly, Haya asked him such a thing. He didn''t know what did she intend by asking such a question, but he responded and asked.

    "That''s right, what about it?"

    "How are your relationships with your family?"

    Hearing that answer, he finally understood what was her intent. It was caused by what happened earlier with Kiritou Kouya.

    "Really, you. You shouldn''t get too involved with the people you use.."

    "Thank you for the concern. But you don''t need to bother with it. So, how is it?"

    "...they both died eight years ago."

    Since there was nothing in particular to hide, he honestly answered.

    "...is that so. I asked something bad."

    "I don''t really mind. It''s something that happened when I was a kid. What about you? From what I saw, it doesn''t seem like you''re getting along too well."

    "It''s in a completely dimension from what you would call ''not getting along''."

    Haya let out a sigh and turned to look towards the ceiling. Taiga had no idea how to call the emotions that were dwelling in her pupils.

    "Although we''re undoubtedly blood-related, I never thought of him as my father. He doesn''t see me as his daughter either."

    "...you hate each other a lot."

    "If you put it in terms of love or hate, then you''re without a doubt right. But that''s not a proper representation. If I were to put it in words... our existences are incompatible, or something like that."

    Personality, thinking, principles, objectives, behaviour¡ª¡ªeach and every one of these factors were different between Kiritou Haya and Kiritou Kouya, it was like heaven and earth. Or that''s at least what Haya thought. Were she to be told that she''s an adopted daughter, it would make more sense.

    "Your mother?''

    "She died soon after giving birth to me. That''s why I never felt anything like being appreciated by the family. Honestly, I''m jealous of your and your little sister''s relationship. For someone to believe another person so unconditionally is amazing."

    When she spoke about his relationship with Fuyuki, his heart skipped a beat, but he immediately noticed it wasn''t said in ''that'' sense and was relieved. At the same time, he was shocked.

    "You thought something like that? Can it be that you being on bad terms with Fuyuki is because..."

    "You''re half correct. The other half is just because I don''t like her."

    Kiritou Haya was always alone.

    She didn''t have any family beside her, in order to acquire proper education and to act with a lady''s dignity, she spent every day being strictly tutored. She didn''t make any friends even after entering the school. In this sense, she and Fuyuki might resemble each other. And yet¡ª¡ª

    "Imouto-san has you. You''re tied by ties stronger than anything else in the world. I might be a little jealous of that... but since it''s pathetic I don''t want to admit it."

    "...but even you had a best friend, haven''t you?"

    "That might be right but... even so, the grass is always greener on the other side."

    Yeah, this girl was yearning for family¡ª¡ªthat''s what Taiga thought. Precisely because it was an illusion which wouldn''t come true, she couldn''t help but embrace the unobtainable dream.

    "...hey, what kind of person was Asumi Aoko?"

    "What''s with that sudden question?"

    "I''m curious what kind of person would be friends with a someone as obstinate as you."

    "...that''s a really annoying way to say it... oh well. I''ll tell you since we''re taking a break anyway."

    While saying that, Haya held out a single window.

    It was the photo Taiga previously peeped on in the school''s classroom. On it, there were two girls wearing the Kiritou Academy''s uniforms. One of them was Haya, the other was a female student with long bluish-black hair.

    "That''s Aoko. She was the same age as me, a researcher that used to be a member of Kiritou."

    "She looks just like Iora."

    "It''s the opposite, it''s Iora who looks like Aoko."

    The two on the photo were linking arms and laughing, there was a cherry tree behind them. He thought it must have been from the entrance ceremony.

    "Even though you asked me what kind of person she was... I can''t easily explain it. But there''s one thing I can say for sure, she was a genius."

    "Genius, huh."

    It was a word Taiga heard often. But since Haya already knew Fuyuki, the weight of her words was different.

    "If you''re saying that, then she must''ve been incredible."

    "Yeah. At the very least I couldn''t even reach the level of her feet. Although I said we were developing Iora together, she''s been actually developed almost single-handedly by Aoko."

    "Really?"

    "I was responsible for things like debugging. Aoko was not good with things like that. You know the people who devote themselves completely to something, and yet they aren''t interested at all in others. She was an exemplary representative of that kind, I had a hard time being with her."

    "...but you look happy as you talk about it."

    Although she complained about it, she couldn''t hide a smile blooming on her face. It was different from how it was when she talked with Taiga and Fuyuki, those were sincere emotions.

    "...well, there was lots of stuff happening but it was fun."

    Her expression clouded over for a moment as she said ''lots of stuff'', Taiga didn''t miss it. It seemed like it wasn''t just happy memories.

    "Now then, let''s go proceed to the next room."

    Haya stood up as if signalling the end of the story.

    And Taiga who thought he was finally done with helping out asked with a disgruntled voice.

    "...there''s still more?"

    "Of course. At the very least, I''ll have you help me out until Fuyuki-san finds the cause of the problem. Although she said she''ll finish in an hour... well, my estimate is that she''ll need at least three hours."

    "You serious..."

    Not even twenty minutes have passed since they sent Fuyuki coordinates of the server room. Were she to finish it in three hours, the day would be already over.

    I guess we''ll have to give up on rejoining Rui and Shio.

    Taiga opened a window with mail software. He wrote a mail addressed to Rui and Shio saying ''see you tomorrow'' and¡ª¡ª

    "Eh?"

    With a sound of glass breaking, sending was cancelled. The text written in the window said ¡´Sending failed¡µ.

    He tried again but the result didn''t change. The two words indicating failure to send were all that was displayed. Even when he changed the destination to Fuyuki there was no difference.

    "...did it break?"

    It might have been broken were it to be the real world, but this was the virtual world. There is no such thing as equipment ''breaking'' in it.

    "What is it Taiga?"

    "No, I tried to send a mail but it didn''t go through... sorry but can you send one for me?"

    "It can''t be helped¡ª¡ªhey, I can''t do it either. Maybe the line''s crowded. Log out and try sending it from the real world."

    "Got it."

    He did as she said and activated the logout process.

    The process for disconnecting the mental structure from the virtual world progressed¡ª¡ªand with a sound of glass breaking, it was cancelled.

    "...hey hey."

    He muttered stunned by the fact that even that failed.

    ¡ª¡ªWait.

    That moment, his intuition warned him.

    He experienced such a situation once before. That was when he rushed to where Fuyuki and Shio were when they faced ¡¶Angel¡·¡ª¡ª

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    *shh*, his thinking cooled down.

    It was different. That was nothing like the line being crowded. They couldn''t contact the outside¡ª¡ªknowing that fact, cold sweat started flowing down his back.

    "Haya, can we transition to another structure from here?"

    "A different structure? You can do it if you go to a transfer point that supports it."

    "All right, let''s go right now."

    "Haa? Why?"

    "Explanations later. Hurry up. If we don''t hurry, it''ll be too late¡ª¡ª"

    ¡´"¡ª¡ªThat''s pointless. This place is already under my control. You won''t escape that easily."¡µ

    "............"

    What sounded in his ears, was an unforgettable voice.

    It was impossible. It couldn''t be. The virtual body cloaked in white robes wasn''t there, there was only a small AI clad in pale light¡ª¡ª

    ¡´"Preparations are complete... with this no one can stop me."¡µ

    What entered Taiga''s field of vision after he turned around was AI ?Iolite who had a smile unlike her on her face. Her appearance distorted and expanded, with her form intact she increased her size several times.

    "I really can''t get used to a small body. It''s hard to move in it. Although this is a body I made, I should have thought more about the convenience of using it."

    In an instant Iora increased in size and became as big as Taiga and Haya¡ª¡ªthe virtual body was usually covered with a white robe, ¡¶Angel¡· rotated its shoulder lightly.

    ...calm down. If you get upset you''ll make it more convenient for the enemy.

    As not to agitate the ''enemy'', Taiga quickly confirmed the situation they were in.

    The exit from the room was behind Angel, they needed to pass by him in order to get out.

    As to not let Angel hear it, Taiga whispered to Haya... and noticed an abnormality.

    "I''ll make an opening. Use it to run outside¡ª¡ªHaya?"

    "...that... voice... no way... but... it can''t be, she''s supposed to be¡ª¡ª"

    It wasn''t just her voice that was trembling. Her entire body was trembling as if she saw something that shouldn''t exist; witnessed something that shouldn''t have been.

    Her appearance being the same was obvious, that''s how Iora was. But that voice, that voice which made people think she was making fun of them was just like hers.

    "...oh right. I haven''t greeted you yet."

    Seeing Haya like that, Angel made a faint smile.

    "It''s the second time we meet, Tenryo Taiga. And¡ª¡ªit''s been a while, Haya. Looks like you remember me, I''m glad."

    "¡ª¡ªAoko!"

    Angel¡ª¡ªno, the girl who was supposed to be dead. Asumi Aoko stood in front of the two with an innocent smile on her face.

 Volume 3, 4 - Banquet of The Dead

    Volume 3, Chapter 4 - Banquet of The Dead

    Part 1

    "...where is this place?"

    Seeing reality skewed from what it should be, Fuyuki raised a puzzled voice.

    In front of her was spread an empty and white space. The perspective deviation came from that one colour that was spread in every direction.

    That''s weird. Did I mistype the coordinates?

    She properly set the login coordinates according to the ones she has been given in a mail from Haya. The electronic barrier was released according to the plan, she should have penetrated the server room. However, no matter how she looked at it, it was a different location from the one she wanted to enter.

    She couldn''t think of anything else other than mistyping coordinates.

    I was too happy and became careless.

    Normally Fuyuki would never made such a mistake. But because she was spending her sweet time earlier her head was all mushy and simmering. It must have been because of the afterglow after that.

    She tried to get herself into shape by slapping her both cheeks. Even if it was a request from someone she didn''t like, once she accepts it she would finish it properly. Her pride is on the line when it came to completing it¡ª¡ªdespite that, the smile on her face wouldn''t disappear.

    ...after we go back let''s do it again. Until then I need bear it.

    She reminded herself to stay in focus.

    What would that female fox say were she to fail. After imagining that scene her thinking gradually changed.

    In any case, she needs to enter the server room first. She needed to log out and check it once again¡ª¡ªthe moment she tried starting the logout process a red crystal stuck into the window and forcibly stopped the process.

    "How cold. Even though I went through so much trouble to invite you, you''re going back already?"

    Hearing a voice sound from behind at the same time, Fuyuki turned around to look towards the source.

    "Well, I won''t let you go."

    How long has it been there. Five metres away from her stood a virtual body clad in a white robe. She couldn''t forget it, the cursed enemy who used Shio before.

    "...why are you here ¡¶Angel¡·."

    "Didn''t I tell you just now? I invited you here."

    Invited¡ª¡ªshe repeated that word thinking about the meaning. It was obvious that this wasn''t the server room. And if the coordinates she typed in were correct, there was one possibility to consider.

    "...you''ve hacked the Arclight and rewritten the coordinates Little Sister entered haven''t you."

    "Correct. It''s a great help that you understood it this fast."

    What''s up with the ''correct''. That''s crazy.

    She started swearing in her mind.

    Hacking an Arclight. Rather than whether it was possible or impossible, the difficulty level was immeasurably high. It was on a level that would make it hard even for Fuyuki. Furthermore, judging by the fact she was unable to log out, there must have been a barrier spread around the space.

    But no matter how much she thought, she couldn''t find the reason for what was happening.

    "What''s your purpose. You haven''t come here to chat, have you?"

    "Chatting huh. That might have been nice."

    Angel''s easy going attitude was undisturbed. And since it didn''t show any gestures at all, it made it seem like it really didn''t come just to talk. That appearance further deepened her suspicions.

    There was no way it had no purpose. To rewrite the coordinates the moment Fuyuki was about to dive would be impossible unless it was watching her movements. For it to go that far to confine her, there had to be a reason¡ª¡ª

    ...locked... in?

    It was different from that. Completely different.

    It was not that it didn''t have a purpose, it has achieved it already. Trapping Tenryo Fuyuki in this space, that was ¡¶Angel¡·''s purpose. In other words¡ª¡ªto stall her!

    "...!!"

    "I won''t let you."

    Something was happening on the other side. Brother was in danger¡ª¡ªshe immediately determined herself and attempted to break through the barrier but the window was destroyed by a red crystal thrown by Angel.

    "It would be troublesome were you to get out. Sorry, but I''ll have you play with me in this ¡¶Prison¡· I prepared."

    "...you''re not the ¡¶Angel¡· himself are you. You''re an autonomously operating program right?"

    "Hee. You''ve already seen through it... you are dangerous after all."

    Fuyuki managed to see through the identity of Angel who was in front of her.

    A program planted with the routine thinking of its author, a program acting according to its author''s personality. It must''ve been prepared in order to stall Fuyuki. It looked like ¡¶Angel¡· was preparing something really dangerous.

    "I''ll say it only once. If you don''t want to be scrapped disappear at once."

    "That''s something I can''t agree with. If you want to go to where Tenryo Taiga is¡ª¡ªtry eliminating me with all your strength first!"

    Fuyuki and ¡¶Angel¡· opened windows at the same time, blue and red crystals clashed.

    Part 2

    "¡ª¡ªIt''s been a while, Haya. Looks like you remember me, I''m glad."

    "¡ª¡ªAoko!"

    Haya spoke the name of the girl who no longer existed.

    She couldn''t be alive. She died from an illness a year ago without a doubt. Haya gave her a proper burial. There was no way the girl in front of her was ''Asumi Aoko''.

    But Haya was convinced with just a glance. The person in front of her was Asumi Aoko.

    "......why."

    "''Why are you alive'' is a pointless question so stop that would you? As you already know, the person called Asumi Aoko is already dead. That''s the reality which won''t change."

    Dumbfounded,

    Haya stared at ¡¶Angel¡·¡ª¡ªAsumi Aoko who informed her with a smile.

    It was no different from when she was alive, a beautiful smile.

    But for some reason, her smile which should have felt nostalgic caused her to feel mysterious fear.

    "Making such a face when facing your best friend, that makes even me hurt."

    "...you must be joking. If you''re the Aoko I know, then you won''t be shaken by this much. Rather, you would rather be enjoying the sight of me being taken aback."

    "Undoubtedly."

    Aoko let out a happy laughter. Haya looked vigilantly at her female friend and asked.

    "¡ª¡ªWhat are you?"

    "...that way of speaking, looks like you have an idea... well that''s obvious. You were at my side as I did my research."

    "............"

    Indeed, Haya knew already.

    A way for someone who died to remain in this world, Asumi Aoko knew more about it than anyone else.

    That''s why that possibility appeared in her head before. It appeared, but she didn''t think about it much. I''ll never use it¡ª¡ªthat''s what she promised her.

    "Aoko... you, do you know what have you done?! You crossed the line that should''ve never been crossed! That''s¡ª¡ª"

    "I know. Even I know that this is wrong."

    She cut in the middle of Haya speaking, showing her determination.

    "But this is what I have chosen. The Kiritou, I will destroy this silly little world. I''ll do anything to accomplish that."

    "...destroy the Kiritou? What are you¡ª¡ª"

    "You might be confused, but I have no time for idle talk. It''s about time I started."

    Along with that declaration, she made a dry sound by snapping her fingers. It was a signal.

    ¡¾"Total System Control of Structure ¡¶Kiritou Headquarters Building¡· Complete."¡¿

    ¡¾"Firewall disabled. Limited connection with different structures re-established."¡¿

    ¡¾"Transferring virus program ¡¶Zygote¡·, starting virtual bodies elimination."¡¿

    Together with that voice, the walls, the floor, and the doors started shaking.

    Vibrations were emitted from all directions of the thirty-fourth floor and spread to the entire structure in a blink of an eye, producing countless black holes. It was also happening to the room Taiga and Haya were currently in, the black stains appeared to the left and right of Aoko and started to slowly expand.

    "What did you do?!"

    "Whaat, I just thought of turning this place into a little hell. You''ll know soon enough... rather than that, Tenryo Taiga. You''ve been glaring at me for a while now, got anything to say."

    Aoko looked towards Taiga.

    For a while now he was unable to understand what was happening¡ª¡ªbut there was only one thing he had to confirm.

    "Angel, no, Asumi Aoko was it. What have you done with Iora?"

    "Iora? Oh, the virtual personality that was in this body. She was swallowed by me and disappeared. She''s been resisting until the very end but it was a waste of effort."

    "...I see."

    In Taiga''s mind the conversation he had with Iora at night was revived.

    Maybe she was able to feel Aoko''s presence. That''s why she said something like ''were something to happen''.

    "I need to keep my promise."

    Taiga took a step ahead and loudly stretched himself.

    "H-hey Taiga?!"

    "Haya, we''ll talk later. We need to stop her before it''s too late."

    He instructed the still-confused Haya.

    He was already convinced.

    The sixth sense that allowed him to avoid death thousands, tens of thousands times told him¡ª¡ªthis girl has stepped into a wrong road. If he doesn''t stop her, it''ll be irreparable.

    As Taiga looked straight ahead at her, Aoko laughed fearlessly.

    "Stop me? Unfortunately, it''s impossible for you guys. Elysion is my home ground. The only risk factor which was Tenryo Fuyuki has been rendered powerless. You have no way of stopping me."

    "...you bitch. What did you do to her?"

    "I confined her for a while. What, I don''t intend to harm her. I''ll release her when it''s over."

    Hearing Fuyuki''s name Taiga released murderous intent from his entire body.

    But even in front of intent an ordinary person wouldn''t be able to stand, Angel still smiled relaxedly.

    "Scary scary. You''re too scary... I need to call a bodyguard."

    *tap*, Aoko lightly hit the floor with her foot.

    The black stain on the floor took a three-dimensional shape and started to expand. Taiga has seen that before, he lowered his body in order to protect Haya.

    As expected, it changed into a jet-black knight¡ª¡ª¡¶Zygote¡·. Moreover, there were two of them. They were already enhanced by several stages.

    "This thing again..."

    "Nostalgic isn''t it? I have reviewed what happened during the case with Karasuba Shio, a low fighting capability won''t stop you. That''s why I allowed them to grow beforehand. Oh, even if you destroy it no one will get hurt because of it so you don''t have to worry... well, that''s if you can destroy them!"

    With her voice as a signal the ¡¶Zygote¡· began their assault with a powerful charge.

    Taiga reflexively put a hand on his hip, but there were no weapon there.

    "...!! Damn!"

    He immediately switched to barehanded techniques and sent the black knight flying.

    He forgot. It wasn''t ¡¶Aries¡· but the Kiritou Headquarters'' structure. Attack-configured programs were made specifically for ¡¶Aries¡· so he couldn''t use it.

    The black knight was blown away and hit the wall with a strong impact. But despite having power that should be enough to crush the armour, it didn''t even have a scratch and rose up instantly.

    "Get back Taiga! The enemy is a virus, without an attack-configured program you won''t damage it!"

    "Even so, there''s nowhere to run!"

    Taiga responded to her while avoiding slashes from the two enemies. The doorway was on the other side, behind the black knights. It was impossible for them to pass.

    Although he concentrated on avoiding, it was a small room that didn''t give him much room to do so. Together with Haya they were gradually cornered against a wall.

    "...now then, excuse me but I''ll be leaving."

    Aoko silently watched as the two were gradually cornered and opened a window, her body has gradually disappeared. She was using ¡¶Transition¡· to move somewhere. Haya immediately broke out and started to run towards her.

    "Wait! Aoko!"

    "Idiot don''t go in front!"

    Haya didn''t look around at all, she tried to run in a straight line to Aoko. The black knight wouldn''t miss such a defenceless target, a large hatchet was swung at her head.

    "Hey¡ª¡ªyou retard!"

    Taiga managed to push her down in the nick of time, the hatchet passed through empty space. Haya still tried to reach out desperately.

    "Aoko! Aoko¡ª¡ª!!"

    "I''m going to the top floor. If you there is something, come up there and tell me there."

    Aoko left behind these words with a cold look in her eyes before she dispersed like fog and disappeared. Haya''s outstretched arms fell down powerlessly.

    But it was not the time to immerse in sentiments. Her body was nearly bisected by a huge hatchet, Taiga embraced Haya and jumped back at full power making distance from the knights.

    "¡ª¡ª!! What are you doing Taiga, we need to chase after Aoko!"

    "Don''t be so reckless."

    Although Haya pulled his collar and commanded him, doing what she said would be too reckless.

    There was no opening between the two Zygotes. They didn''t allow him to rest by attacking in turns, chasing after Aoko would be unreasonable like this. They were cornered little by little.

    Fuck, at this rate we''ll be done for...!

    He picked up Haya to carry her, leaving her behind was out of question. Were he to break through¡ª¡ªhe needed to risk a little.

    Without any hesitation Taiga lowered his hips and flung her into the air.

    "Wha¡ª¡ª!!"

    He ignored Haya who raised a complaint while in mid-air and momentarily closed the distance that separated him and the black knights.

    While the Zygotes were distracted by the defenceless Haya for a moment Taiga delivered a blow with his fists to the belly of one of them, he took a half a step further after that and pounded the knight into the ground. After that he turned his body while maintaining the momentum and while dodging a slash at the same time he delivered a roundhouse kick to the second knight''s neck.

    The two black knights were blown away. Taiga immediately started to run and gently caught the falling Haya.

    "...that''s quite an outrageous way of doing things."

    "Emergency measures. Let''s hurry up and go!''

    He didn''t destroy them, the black knights will chase after him soon enough. The two hurried towards the exit of the room¡ª¡ªand seeing the sight spread out in front of them they were at a loss for words.

    "..................what''s... this."

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª I just thought of turning this place into a little hell. ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Aoko''s words were the truth.

    If there were anything that could be called hell, then it would be this scene. The walls were stained with vivid red, blood-like colour.

    About ten Zygotes were lined up in the hallway, under their feet there were numerous researchers thrown as if they were garbage.

    The large hatchet that rose up from the researcher''s body was clad in blood-like a aura.

    ¡ª¡ª¡¶Jail¡·. The military program allowing to capture the mental structure, which was the human soul.

    It has caused more than a dozen of people including Rui to fall into a coma before, it was something that Aoko originally researched and developed. It wasn''t weird for her to have it. However¡ª¡ªthe spectacle of several hundred people falling to it was way too unrealistic.

    "...tell me this is a joke..."

    In response to Haya''s groan, the dozen of black knights have turned their gaze towards the two. Moreover, the two that fell down earlier got up and were behind them.

    They had no way out. Fortunately, Taiga knew how to resist them.

    He closed his eyes to calm his mind and took the pale Haya''s hand.

    "Let''s escape for now."

    "W-where to! Every floor must be flooded with these guys!"

    "A place we can hide in. Aren''t you living in here?"

    He put some strength in the hand that grasped her wrist and stared in her eyes that seemed to lose her will to resist; relaying ''calm down'' with his line of sight. Haya let out a sigh.

    "...in the back of third floor there''s a secret room I made when I was a child. We can hide in there."

    Even though she tried to act calmly, her body was lightly trembling. She was still in high school, it was hard for her to resist panicking while facing such a hell.

    "All right. Let''s go there. The transfer circle... can''t be used can it."

    Were he to be the invader, the first thing he would do is to seal their mobility. Since Aoko took control of this place and was able to use ¡¶Transition¡·, that meant they had no choice but to move on her own two feet.

    If I remember well, there were stairs. Looks like we need to use them.

    He dug in his memory and envisioned a map in his head. Since it was a considerable distance and they had to pass through an open area, they had no choice but to break through forcibly.

    "Sorry Haya, but bear with it for a while."

    "Eh? ...kyaa!!?"

    Taiga encompassed Haya''s waist with his left arm and strongly embraced her. Strength easily left her body and she left it to him, taking a posture where she burried her face in his neck.

    "H-hey?! What are you doing at a time like¡ª¡ª!"

    "I''m going to run at full speed. Cling to me as if your life depends on it."

    Ignoring Haya''s protests Taiga quietly lowered his hip.

    The moment a hatchet was swung at them from behind, Taiga burst out at top speed.

    Haya was surprised by the sudden acceleration and involuntarily she held onto him with both of her arms with all her strength. Taiga dodged the Zygotes'' attacks with as little movements as possible and continued to run through the hallway!

    "W-wait Taiga! This is harder than expect¡ª¡ª"

    "Shut up, you''ll bite your tongue!"

    Although Haya complained about the speed that made her feel like she''ll be shaken off, but he ignored it all.

    Were they to drop the speed even a little they would be caught. If a black knight equipped with ¡¶Jail¡· hit them with its hatchet, it would be a fatal wound.

    He paid attention to what happened both in front and in the back.

    Since he didn''t defeat the ¡¶Zygotes¡· they of course chased after them, Since they were enhanced by several stages their physical abilities were rivaling that of Taiga''s. He had to predict their attacks, otherwise they would be struck down.

    He sprinted down the hallway at an incredible speed. However, the enemy wasn''t a disorderly mob. Reinforcements used the stairs and come from both above and below. With that they could no longer use the stairs.

    "Tch...!"

    There was no time to hesitate. Taiga prepared himself.

    "Haya! We''ll be going down to the third floor all at once, close your eyes!"

    "Wa-wait a second! You can''t mean¡ª¡ª"

    He released the hand supporting Haya just for a moment and kicked off the floor with all his strength.

    There was a single Zygote in front of them. Taiga released a blow with his fist to its belly and jumped on top of it.

    After hanging in the air for a moment their momentum was lost and the 2 people + 1 virus started falling and accelerating; drawn to the ground by gravity!

    "KYAAAAAAAAAAA!"

    Because of the deafening scream Taiga''s eardrums were shaken as he was in contact with the source, but he couldn''t afford to concern himself with it.

    Need to concentrate on my vision... If I miss the timing it''ll be all over.

    The scenery he was seeing flowed at high speed. He kicked off his foothold right before reaching the third floor jumping into the hallway.

    Immediately after he rolled on the ground, he heard a sound of something crashing into the bottom.

    "...good, success."

    "What success! I thought I''d die!"

    Haya hit Taiga with her right hand, a loud sound of a slap rang out.

    Certainly, a free fall from the thirty-fourth floor was a scary thing even in the virtual world.

    "Stop complaining, we escaped unscathed. Rather than that, let''s hurry and hide. They''ll come down to chase us."

    "...fine, this way."

    Guided by Haya, Taiga ran through the corridor filled with a huge amount of virtual bodies on the ground.

    Part 3

    It happened during the winter six years ago.

    The two girls still haven''t known each others names, it was the second day after the fateful encounter.

    In a hotel located in a certain remote city the twelve year old Kiritou Haya was lazing around.

    "...what am I doing, really."

    She''s been rolling around on a bed for nearly an hour, and then she suddenly muttered.

    Were she to be asked why was she doing that, she would answer ''because I have free time'', but she still could use this time for something productive.

    "...even so, what should I do?"

    For now she stood up and stared at her blank schedule.

    She had nothing she could call a hobby, after her everyday lessons she just went to rest. In other words, she had nothing to do. After such a lifestyle continued for two days in a row, Haya let out a long sigh.

    Haya was accompanying her father.

    The reason she had arrived at this city could be described with those words. Also, the reason she remained in the city even after the party was over, was also her father.

    Staying in here for two days because of work problems is fine, but there''s no reason for me to stay as well is there.

    She complained in her mind only. There was no way she would ever act in such a manner openly¡ª¡ªin her short twelve-year long life she had already remembered the rules of acting in society.

    And thus, the girl with too much time hid the fact that she was bored.

    Oh right, I wonder what happened with the thief from yesterday.

    On top of the desk beside the bed lied and shined her favourite bracelet. The metal part was a little dirty, reminding her that what happened the day before wasn''t a dream.

    ¡ª¡ªSpeaking of how it concluded, Haya let the thief girl go in the end.

    She thought that the hungry girl was quite miserable and she herself didn''t want to be questioned by the police. Were that to happen her and father would need to leave the party venue, it might have damaged Kiritou''s good name. There were only disadvantages to it.

    "Let''s take a stroll."

    The surface and her inner self¡ª¡ªin her heart a need to vent her anger accumulated, Haya changed into appropriate plain clothes and left to go to the unfamiliar town.

    Thank you very much. We look forward to your next visit¡ª¡ªa 100% textbook bussiness smile and line has seen her off after she left the Namisagi brand''s retail store.

    Yeah... Namisagi''s Arclight technology is amazing after all... it may take ten years if not more to catch up...

    She spent two hours checking out plenty of new products that were on sale today but in the end she wasn''t able to, for the store clerks she was an ultimately annoying (even though she was a kid) type of customer. Though, she herself wasn''t bothered by it at all.

    What currently occupied Haya''s thoughts was the clear difference in the technology level between Kiritou and Namisagi.

    ...in the end, this is the only thing for me.

    She hated herself for thinking about the company despite being alone.

    Even though she went out for a change of pace, and yet she couldn''t get away from thinking like a ''Kiritou''s young lady''.

    No matter where she goes, she can''t escape¡ª¡ªthat''s what she was reminded of.

    "...let''s stop this. It''s depressing."

    The words that came out involuntarily out of her mouth dissolved in the cold air. Her sigh dyed the air white and disappeared soon enough, she displayed her ''real self'' where no one could see her.

    Even as she strolled her mind didn''t clear up. Just when she thought of that and decided to go back to the hotel, something caught her attention and she stopped her feet.

    "That girl, the one from yesterday...?"

    She was clad in a dirty parka, and even though her head was hidden by a hood, the distinctive bluish-black hair could be seen. It was definitely the thief girl she met last night. She was hiding in a back alley.

    What is she doing?

    Her curiosity was piqued and Haya stood still for a while observing her.

    There was movement after five minutes passed. The moment a security drone tried to pass by the girl, she moved.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª!"

    The girl expanded a window and operated it at high speed. The street-lights around suddenly started to glow strongly and emergency buzzers sounded all over. The passer-bys'' attention was drawn to them and away from the drone.

    Aiming for that moment, the girl jumped out quickly and got in close contact with the drone. She momentarily rewrote the internal information in it and disappeared in the back alley.

    "That''s..."

    Haya examined the internal information of the drone that ceased its functions.

    As expected, its behavioural pattern was changed by administrator privileges, it was set to ''stop'' before reaching a ''certain place'' where it was at time.

    This, it was done by the girl from before wasn''t it. Hacking into an administrator account in such a short time...

    And the abnormal functions of the lights and buzzers before. That was also her doing.

    But to hack into those in such a short time, moreover only by using the terminal''s output meant her skills were on a different level.

    I want to confirm it¡ª¡ªsuch an idea came to her mind. She was very interested why would someone who has such skills do such a thing.

    If I go to these coordinates then probably¡ª¡ª

    Haya expanded a map and proceeded with fast steps.

    Fortunately because there was good security in this town, there were no problems. She walked for about ten minutes until she reached a run-down bar.

    "...it should be here."

    The coordinates that have been removed from the patrol drone''s route were no doubt here.

    Haya went up the dimly lit stairs and put a hand on the rusted doorknob. Suddenly a shadow appeared in her field of view.

    "¡ª¡ªDrop dead you damn intruder!"

    "Wha..."

    The door has been wide opened and the girl who seemed to wait on the other side attacked her. She had a thin wooden bar in her hands.

    Danger¡ª¡ªas soon as she thought that, Haya grabbed the girl''s arm reflexively.

    "...eh?"

    "Fu¡ª¡ªhyah!"

    The moment the girl shouted, her small body danced in the air. Haya quickly entwined her with her legs and softly dropped her on the floor, she clamped down on her arm.

    It was the grappling technique commonly called ''roark armbar'', the girl started screaming.

    "IT hurtsSSSSSsss?!! time out! Ouch ouch, I said it hurts didn''t I?!"

    "Of course it does. It''s supposed to hurt. Rather than that! What are you thinking suddenly trying to hit me!"

    "That''s because you entered my house without permission!"

    "...your house? What, you live here?"

    "That''s right!"

    While still holding onto her arm strongly, Haya looked around the store.

    Although the d¨¦cor looked old, the counter and chairs as well as the tableware seemed like they were used recently, a feeling of life was there.

    "...not only trespassing and stealing, but also illegal occupation. That''s a three-hit combo."

    "Shut up, it has nothing to do with you! Hurry up and let go of my hand you bobhead!"

    "Annoying. Ah, I see. So you don''t need this arm. Hmm."

    "GyaaaaaaAAAAAAAAaaaAAa!!"

    The arm made an ominous sound, and her screams resounded in the deserted bar.

    "...Asumi Aoko, twelve years old."

    When she asked about her name, the girl replied reluctantly.

    Most likely because she was held down for three minutes, but the girl fell down on the counter looking tired¡ª¡ªlooking down on Asumi Aoko, Haya let out a small sigh. Why was she that interested in this girl.

    Asumi Aoko was in a nutshell ''a girl who ran away from home''.

    The years earlier she ran away from her adoptive parents'' house and was living in this ran-down bar ever since then.

    Of course she didn''t go to school, and a minor without a guarantor couldn''t rent a room.

    Even so, she manages to survive somehow. She went outside to obtain food on every third day¡ª¡ªthat''s when she sneaked in to the party venue¡ª¡ªthat''s what she told her.

    "...so, why did you steal my bracelet? You need money?"

    "Ugh... that was an accident. The moment I rammed into you it was accidentally caught in my clothes. Even I have my pride, I wouldn''t do something shameful like pickpocketing."

    Stealing food was shameful as well, Haya thought, but she ignored that for the time being. Rather, she was interested in this girl who lived alone despite being the same age as she was.

    "I know what happened yesterday. But how are you living your life? It doesn''t seem like there''s a bed here."

    "There''s both tap water and electricity in here as well as a shower. It''s enough to survive."

    Aoko no longer had any strength to resist and obediently responded.

    It was just as she said, there was electricity in the store. But why was she using a run-down bar as her lifeline. Just when she thought of that something came to her mind, earlier, she witnessed the hacking skills of the girl.

    "It can''t be, did you hack into the management company¡ª¡ª?"

    "............I-I had no choice but to do it if I wanted to live, that was an emergency."

    "I see, so unauthorized access added to the list."

    The number of charges increased again. But since she didn''t intend on taking her to the police station, counting them was pointless.

    "Anyway, who are you? You were at that venue, so I imagine you must be a considerable Ojou-sama."

    "Ah, I haven''t introduced myself have I. Kiritou Haya, same as you twelve years old."

    "Kiritou...?"

    Recognizing her last name, Aoko stood up and rummaged in the machinery piled up in the corner of the store. As Haya moved closer, she saw all of it was dirty, broken or in a bad state.

    "That''s a lot of machinery, where did you get it?''

    "This? I stole it from discarded products¡ª¡ªI''m just reusing them. I secretly borrowed the rest from the drones in the city."

    "...you hacked into drones for that?"

    So that was her real purpose. Haya was amazed.

    "Oh, there it is. This is from Kiritou."

    "Uwaa, you brought out something really old."

    Aoko pulled out a small card-type machine. It was a product made ten years ago when Kiritou initially began to rise. Haya reflected its information on the terminal, and was surprised with its performance. The specs were completely different from original. It wasn''t the same as the one developed by Kiritou.

    "...could it be that you remodelled it?"

    "Nn? Ahh, speaking of which I tampered with it after I picked it up... about two years ago."

    Although that''s what Aoko said, it was not a modification on the level of ''tampering a little''. Haya was horrified by the fact that a twelve year old girl who didn''t go to school could do such a thing.

    "...I see, in other words a genius."

    "That''s right. Even though I say it about myself, I am a genius."

    "That''s boasting a lot."

    "It''s the truth so it can''t be helped. Nevertheless, there are various elements I''m missing, but I''m still better than an inferior human like you."

    "Fine, I get it. I haven''t made you scream enough yet."

    "Eh, no, you''re wro¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªGYAHHHHHHHH! My arm, i-it''ll pop offfff!"

    And before she noticed, Haya started to play with the girl called Aoko.

    A young lady who lived in a sparkling world and the runaway girl who had trouble finding food every day. The two who had nothing that resembled each other and had completely different circumstances surrounding them felt comfortable when they were together.

    "Now then, I''m going home... see you tomorrow."

    "...sure, see you tomorrow."

    That day, the two promised to meet again the other day for the first time in their lives.

    Part 4

    "Ga¡ª¡ª¡ª"

    A hatchet pierced the chest of one of the executives and he fell to the ground. A pale sphere of light left his body¡ª¡ªthe mental structure fell out and was absorbed into the girl''s palm.

    "...I have seized all the functions of this structure and disposed of completely, the thousands of employees. All that''s left is you, Kiritou Kouya."

    "............"

    The headquarters building''s structure, the thirty-fifth and the top floor, the executive board''s meeting room. It was where the executives of the Kiritou Group were talking about the benefits and the fate of the company, it was all dominated by a single girl now.

    All the executives who were vigorously discussing up until the last moment now were lying on the floor, the only one surviving was the man sitting in the top seat. Among this gruesome sight, four ¡¶Zygotes¡· were slowly taking steps towards him.

    "You... Asumi Aoko... why are you here..."

    "Why? What a stupid question. Do I have to explain the reasons to you one by one?"

    Kouya who was sitting in a chair didn''t move, no, he couldn''t move.

    On both of his sides were black knights who poised their hatchets making him unable to move. He could imagine that were he tp move he would share the fate of the executives who lied on the floor.

    "I have only one objective. You should know what it is."

    Aoko glared at the unmoving Kouya and spat out coldly.

    She had only one objective.

    There is no way Kiritou Kouya, the man who erased the girl called Asumi Aoko from this world wouldn''t know it.

    "...revenge, is it."

    "Correct. But it isn''t limited just to you."

    While saying that, she took a hatchet from one of black knights and aimed it at his neck.

    "¡ª¡ªYeah. This is revenge. I will destroy you, and this castle you created without leaving a single piece of it. Just for that I''ve been clinging to this unsightly life of mine."

    She broke her promise, confined ten thousand people, sacrificed her only friend, and used the dream they made together so that she could stand there.

    Even though she knew just how sinful she was, she didn''t stop. She couldn''t stop.

    "...what do you intend."

    "You can''t do anything even if I tell you that. Shut up and rot away."

    She slowly lowered the hatchet.

    "The hell you wished for... you can finally see it."

    The hatchet was swung casually, Kouya didn''t even scream as it cut into his neck.

    And after being signalled, thousands of windows were deployed around Aoko producing a huge program in conjunction.

    "Logic Bomb ¡¶Indra¡· Generation Sequence¡ª¡ªStart."

    According to Aoko''s order, the mental structures of the ten thousand people robbed by ¡¶Jail¡· converged at one point. As the lights gradually started to give off a strong light, the ceiling and the floor started to disappeared and turning to dust.

    "Just a little more... a little more and it''ll be all over..."

    Asumi Aoko stood there quietly and waited for the final demise to come.

    Part 5

    "...have you calmed down?"

    "Yeah. Thanks."

    Although Haya''s complexion hasn''t returned to normal yet, it was much better now. Taiga exhaled with relief.

    It was the third floor of the headquarters'' structure, a small room that had about eight tatami of space and a hidden door.

    Haya said "When I was small I made it by hollowing out a portion of structure, something like a secret base.", it seemed like Aoko didn''t know about this room.

    Now then... what do we do now.

    Taiga thought of what to do next.

    Although they didn''t know about this room, it was a matter of time until they tear it down and find them. Although he confirmed the stage of other levels while falling, there seemed to be a large amount of ¡¶Zygotes¡· on every floor. And their total number was¡ª¡ªhonestly, he didn''t want to think about it.

    I don''t know what''s Asumi Aoko''s objective, but being here is dangerous. I''m worried about Fuyuki, we need to hurry and log out.

    ¡ª¡ª I''m going to the top floor. If there is something, come up there and tell me there.

    That''s what Aoko said. Although that line seemed like an invitation, but unless they do something about her they won''t be able to log out. There was no other choice.

    ...first we need to ensure a way to fight.

    Between this place and the top floor there were countless ¡¶Zygotes¡·, they had no choice but to break through.

    Of course, breaking through with his bare hands was out of the question. Were he to be surrounded it would be the end of the line.

    Unexpectedly the room, no, the entire structure started to shake violently. Taiga and Haya lost their balance.

    "What?!"

    The moment Taiga looked up, he saw electromagnetic waves run through the structure, the walls became transparent and he saw the sky far above them through it.

    In there was a giant sphere of light shining above them and growing. Seeing the empty sphere in the sky, Haya shouted.

    "¡¶Indra¡·...?!! Aoko, you want to destroy Kiritou that much?!"

    Just by seeing the fear and shock on Haya''s face Taiga was able to assess the risk.

    Taiga himself as well instinctively guessed¡ª¡ªit would put everything to an end equally. Whether it were people or objects, once they were swallowed by that they would turn into dust.

    "What''s that?"

    "...know anything about Logic Bomb?"

    "No, haven''t heard of it."

    "It''s a type of a cyber weapon. A program which overloads the operation area and causes errors that destroy it. ¡¶Indra¡· is the worst among programs of that type. It''s a genocidal weapon specializing in the destruction of large-scale structures."

    "...that''s some dangerous wording."

    It was something he would never hear in normal everyday life. But as he looked at the sphere of light he didn''t feel any discomfort.

    "The one who made it, was it Asumi Aoko?"

    "Yeah. Aoko said so herself, that this is an inhumane program that shouldn''t have been created."

    "Inhumane?"

    "The problem is not the fact that it destroys a large-scaled structure... it''s the material ¡¶Indra¡· is composed of."

    Haya sat down on the bed and expanded a window.

    It was Kiritou headquarters'' structure floor plan, on it there were red and white dot marks. While there were countless red dots on it, the only two white dots were on the third floor.

    "...looks like all the employees have been taken down."

    "That''s... the response of virtual bodies is it."

    Judging from the number and location the two white dots was Taiga and Haya. And the red dots must''ve been Kiritou employee''s beaten by the black knights. The ¡¶Jail¡· installed on them must have sucked out their mental structure¡ª¡ª

    "...wait."

    The dots connected.

    Inhumane. The worst program. He heard earlier that a mental structure was a mass of data impossible to analyse. After connecting all the information he had, there was only one answer.

    "It can''t be... the material¡¶Indra¡· uses is¡ª¡ªhuman souls?"

    "To be exact, a large amount of mental structures."

    Haya emotionlessly corrected Taiga''s words.

    When he assumed that, the current situation all made sense. A large amount of employees has been called to the headquarters structure today to deal with the appearing troubles, and they all needed to be hunted down as fast as possible. For that, ¡¶Zygotes¡· were used and to complete it they were equipped with¡ª¡ª¡¶Jail¡·.

    "If ¡¶Indra¡· was triggered, then all the people inside of the structure will die due to the excess load applied to their brains. Kiritou will literally disappear without a trace."

    "How long will it take until it''s completed?"

    "I don''t know the details, but it won''t take long."

    So there was no time to lose.

    Then, Haya grasped Taiga''s arm slowly and forced a window open. She took out the complex attack-configured program ¡¶Heavenly Sword¡· and the costume he was using in ¡¶Aries¡·.

    "What are you intending to do?"

    "You''re going to stop Aoko aren''t you? I''m modifying ¡¶Heavenly Sword¡· so that it can be used in here. Wait a moment."

    She said that and without waiting for his reply she started to change the program. The percentage on the window said 1%, indicating modification completion status. It went up to 2% soon enough.

    "...I''m going as well."

    Haya said it quietly, there were no hesitation in her eyes.

    "Can you do it?"

    Taiga stared into her eyes with anticipation.

    He could see it in Asumi Aoko''s eyes, she wasn''t someone who would let herself be persuaded. She had to be forcefully stopped. In other words¡ª¡ªannihilate her.

    "No matter the reason, I can''t allow her to do such a thing. I need to stop that idiot."

    I''ll go no matter what. She made such a response which indicated she had a strong determination. Taiga frowned.

    "Even so, I can''t go up while carrying you."

    "That''s all right. I''ve thought it over properly."

    There was a possibility of Haya getting attacked by Zygotes if she were to be left behind anyway. Them staying together would ensure she was safe.

    "...just tell me one thing. What exactly is the current Asumi Aoko? Why is she using Iora''s virtual body?"

    "...well, I guess you have the right to know."

    She prompted Taiga to sit down and looked up at the ceiling with a distant look in her eyes.

    "Let''s start... from when Aoko first came to Kiritou."

    Part 6

    ¡ª¡ªBoth Kiritou Haya and Asumi Aoko were lonely.

    The girl who was born to a blessed household and was forced to become a ''lady'', and the girl who was born into a poor environment and was forced to become an adult.

    Starting with a chance encounter and short but intense days. For the first time ever since they were born the girls found a ''friend'' with whom they could openly speak with.

    ¡ª¡ªMy body is tainted. That was Asumi Aoko''s favourite phrase.

    She was separated from her parents when they died and taken to her relatives. It wasn''t common, but it wasn''t a rare story either.

    But what was unfortunate for her, was the fact that her foster family was badly distorted.

    For Asumi Aoko whose every day was hell, Elysion was an utopia.

    It wasn''t an illusion nor a myth, a perfect world existed which spread out majestically in front of her eyes. Denying the ugly reality, it was a place like a dream where she could change anything as she wanted to.

    Then one day, she ran away from the hell.

    While struggling to survive, she surrounded herself with the things she loved. And¡ª¡ªshe met with Haya, which made her even happier.

    That''s when Kiritou Kouya appeared in front of her. He knew of Haya''s suspicious actions and had his secretary investigate it in secret.

    I want to hire you¡ª¡ªthat''s what Kouya said after witnessing Aoko''s talent.

    Although Kiritou was called one of the four major corporations, they paled in comparison to the other three.

    The yet-emerging company didn''t have a brand, nor research and development that has been ongoing for many years. What Kiritou Kouya wanted was a genius who could overturn the absolute factor, time.

    Asumi Aoko accepted the invitation and became a researcher at Kiritou.

    Aoko''s existence was top secret and only a few of the executives knew of her, since Haya was at a similar age to her she has been appointed as her watchdog.

    Then one day, two years after she came to Kiritou.

    Haya was working in her laboratory like usual, and Aoko also entered it by using ¡¶Transition¡· like she always did. She seemed to have an excited expression on her face.

    "Haya! Look, I found something great!"

    "...Aoko, I say it every time. Can you stop releasing my room''s security without permission? It''s bad for my heart."

    "Then make security I can''t break through. Though, that would be impossible"

    "Was that supposed to be sarcastic..."

    That kind of chat was already familiar to them.

    Haya put her work on hold and sighed.

    Even though it was almost summer, Aoko was wearing clothes that covered everything up to her wrists and ankles as well as a white coat on top of it. Haya recalled the reason she hid her skin, and entered a melancholic mood.

    "...so, what did you find?"

    "Oh. Look, this. I look around the company data and stumbled upon it."

    What was projected in the air was an artificially-beautiful girl.

    Her smiling expression had no emotions, felt dead as if it was a noh mask. Her eyes were closed as if she was asleep.

    "...AI?"

    It was a prototype version from a few generations ago, a really old AI. Haya looked in Aoko''s eyes amazed.

    "So what''s so unusual about it?"

    "It''s the first time I''ve seen one, though I''ve knew of them before."

    "Ah¡ª...now that you say it."

    AI was something ''convenient to have'' back then, but in the end the results were not worth the development funds. Of course, Kiritou didn''t involve themselves with these.

    " An AI is just a doll that mechanically follows instructions programmed into them. What made you interested in it?"

    "Indeed it is as you say, she''s a doll right now. She''s unable to think for herself nor act by her own discretion."

    Aoko continued to lay out words one after another as if to persuade her. Although it was infuriating, Haya encouraged her to continue.

    "With what has been installed into her she''s only able of making basic responses, her thinking circuitry is extremely primitive. Thinking of the past, dreaming of the future, it''s incomparable to a human brain which is constantly thinking. And the most important thing¡ª¡ªare the emotions."

    "...aren''t you ashamed of using that dramatic tone of voice?"

    "Stop laughing at me. Anyway, when I saw her I thought that were an AI to have emotions, it would be no different from humans."

    "That''s probably pointless. There''s nothing to obtain from that."

    Haya rejected her words all at once.

    AIs have their own role, if they were given something as uncertain as feelings it was unknown what kind of effect it would cause. Were a machine to forget its duties, it would overturn everything that was known.

    But Aoko wasn''t bothered with her words and just shrugged in a grand manner.

    "Ha?ya?. You''re getting a bit too stained with the corporation''s point of view. You should think about things in a more free manner."

    "Is it something a corporation-dedicated researcher should say?"

    "Those are two different things. As always, you''re horrible at switching between public and private matters... listen and consider this. Aren''t AIs a significant existence for people?"

    "Well, in general they are."

    "In other words its something that is necessary for an owner''s daily life. Then why not develop a relationship between them similar to friendship?"

    "...friendship eh."

    She tried to imagine it for a moment.

    Her lonely life and meeting of Kiritou Haya and meeting with Aoko, and now an AI staying together with them. Sharing the fun days and the fights with each other¡ª¡ª

    "How enviable."

    She suddenly returned to earth and blocked her mouth in a hurry, Aoko heard it clearly. She made a nasty grin and¡ª¡ª

    "Then how about we try making one?"

    She said such a thing.

    "...ha? What?"

    "How dull. I said that me and you should make an AI that has emotions. You think it''s nice as well don''t you?"

    "Well I thought so for a bit but... you got your own research too don''t you. Moreover, I don''t think you''ll get a permit for developing an AI."

    "Hmm. Then if I get the permission will you cooperate?"

    "Only if you do. But that''s absolutely impossible."

    Haya answered appropriately, with this the topic was closed.

    However, a few days later just as she declared, Aoko has obtained permission from Kiritou Kouya.

    And the two undertook the task of developing an AI that had emotions.

    With Asumi Aoko as the lead developer, it was a small project with only two people in it. And its name used characters from the project leader''s name and was called thus¡ª¡ª¡¶Iolite¡·.1

    Part 7

    Gradually the modification rate for ¡¶Heavenly Sword¡· was nearing 100%.

    As Haya stopped talking, a question appeared in Taiga''s head.

    "How did Asumi Aoko obtain Kiritou Kouya''s permission? He isn''t someone who could be persuaded so easily."

    He could tell just by looking at his face. Kouya wasn''t a person who''d listen to people. There had to be something behind this.

    "Yeah. I''ve learned about it later, but it seemed like he turned it down once. But since she wanted to do AI research she proposed to him a trade."

    "Trade?"

    "...I''ve told you before. Profit is most important for us. Kiritou will do anything as long as it profits."

    "Yeah. And then she dabbled in the development of military programs¡ª¡ªthat''s what it means."

    "Yes."

    Asumi Aoko proposed an exchange. After being told this much, he realized its contents.

    She took a step into the worst research of ¡¶Jail¡· and ¡¶Indra¡· in order to obtain some freedom.

    "From now on it''s the main issue. Aoko and I began the research on AI in earnest. Virtual personality, in other words a mental structure created artificially. But something like that couldn''t be simply created by human hands."

    They could only create a superficial personality configuration. But the soul underlying it, its life, creating a will which would output emotions from the scratch was stepping into God''s realm.

    "We had gave up on creating it from a scratch. What had caught our attention was the study of Hologhosts which was actively carried out all over the world."

    "Hologhosts? Haven''t heard of them."

    "It''s a quite famous research. It can be called an end point theme for the cyber era. Discarding the unwanted real body and living eternally after becoming a pure soul. In a nutshell, a study of immortality."

    ¡ª¡ªImmortality.

    In all eras and places it was silently talked about, a dream everyone had at least once.

    Everyone who has obtained everything, they could have said in the end ''I don''t want to die'', a primitive desire.

    One of the Hologhost''s concept''s of affixing the mental structure to virtual was helpful in building the AI. And from discovering something already existing and applying it our study had began. Even though we started with a bright concept... Aoko has found it."

    It was supposed to be impossible.

    From the day Elysion was born, countless researchers aimed for it and were equally frustrated by their failures. But by chance, or maybe because of God''s mischief¡ª¡ªAsumi Aoko arrived at the sanctuary no one could follow her into.

    "By burning out the brain through excessive load and completely cutting the connection with the body the mental structure could affixed to the virtual world... she found such a method."

    "In other words, a method to become a Hologhost."

    "That''s the kind of thing it is in a nutshell."

    Even Asumi Aoko didn''t expect that. However her extraordinary talent changed impossible into possible despite her not wanting it.

    "Aoko created Iora by using the knowledge she gained in that research. But after consulting with me we promised not to reveal anything about the research on Hologhost and keep it secret. It wasn''t something not worth consulting. And yet..."

    "Asumi Aoko used it."

    Asumi Aoko died by burning out her brain, and became a Hologhost living in the virtual world. She entered Iora''s body and continued to hide in it.

    "...the reason she used Iora''s body can be inferred. Hologhosts cannot move without a virtual body and there is no other body as suitable as that one. After all, Aoko was the one who designed it, the adaptation rate must have been considerably higher."

    After finishing her story, Haya spat out the air in a sigh.

    Taiga summarized the information in his head.

    Currently Asumi Aoko was activating the program which was to destroy the entire structure ¨C Logic Bomb ¡¶Indra¡· using the mental structure of all the employees as material. If it''s triggered it''s all GAME OVER, everyone dies.

    "Is there a method to stop ¡¶Indra¡·?"

    "There is no way to stop the sequence until its complete. Aoko is now a Hologhost, her mental structure will disappear together with her virtual body''s elimination. That should stop it."

    Elimination, the moment she said that Haya''s expression shook for an instant. Her disturbance disappeared soon enough and a sense of mission ''it''s something that has to be done'' dwelled in her. The danger that light posed couldn''t be overlooked.

    "...all right, it''s done."

    The moment Haya murmured that a high pitched sound rang out, a nodachi appeared in front of Taiga all at once. The moment he grasped it his body was clad in light and he changed into the outfit he wore in ¡¶Aries¡·, a white long coat.

    "Now then, let''s go."

    "...yeah."

    Taiga stared at Haya''s emotionless back, and chased after her.

    Part 8

    "Haa... haa..."

    "Your breathing has roughened considerably. It''s about time your processing speed decreased."

    "No way. ...let''s go!"

    Just as she cried out a dozen of crystals appeared and were released at ¡¶Angel¡· in unison.

    Each and every one of them was a powerful attack-configured program capable of destroying it. Before the literally deadly arrows, Angel swayed its hand. An exactly same number of sinister red crystals appeared behind it and intercepted the blue crystals. The pure white space was dyed in two colours, red and blue.

    "...being able to develop such a number of programs in just a moment. If we considered just the processing speed you might be above me. Looks like it was a correct course of action to deal with you like this."

    As Fuyuki''s breathing turned rough because of excessive calculations, Angel made a relaxed smile.

    They have exchanged about fifty attacks already. Assuming every time they used about twenty programs, after a simple calculation it would add up to a thousand¡ª¡ªit was impossible for a program to withstand such a load no matter how good it was.

    "You... are you borrowing a calculation space from somewhere outside?"

    Fuyuki was confident about that question, Angel laughed faintly, saying it''s ''correct''.

    "If it were my real self then maybe, but this program can''t stop you. My calculation space is currently directly connected to the Kiritou''s main server. It''s a huge server capable of managing multiple large-scaled structures. No matter how fast your processing speed is, it''s impossible for you to break through it."

    In other words, it meant that to destroy Angel she would need enough strength to destroy the entire Kiritou server.

    An ant and an elephant... that wouldn''t be enough to describe it.

    She couldn''t win.

    No matter how good at processing data and calculation a human was, they couldn''t compete with a server which could maintain a vast world''s heaven and earth. It was an overwhelming difference, the measures she used made no difference.

    "Certainly, Little Sister can''t do anything alone."

    Nevertheless, Fuyuki build another attack-configured program.

    "...you don''t know when to give up."

    Angel let out a tired sigh and began interception. It was nearly three times the number of the crystals released before, but that level of attack could be easily intercepted if Angel had the backup of the main server.

    From the overwhelming raw power difference, a small opportunity to catch the enemy off guard appeared.

    That''s why. When she hid a very very small program in the shadow of the large amount of crystals. Angel overlooked it.

    As red and blue crystals clashed releasing a flurry of sparks, the barrier blocking off the structure was distorted for just a moment.

    The tiny program was shot out through that distortion and used ¡¶Transition¡· to enter another structure beyond the barrier.

    Part 9

    "Ahh, Shio-chan. If you don''t stir it faster that''s going to be burnt you know?"

    "Eh? A-awawa?!"

    A fragrant smell drifted in caf¨¦ ¡¶Paradise¡· which was empty despite it being a holiday.

    Shio was standing in the kitchen behind the counter with a pair of chopsticks in her hand and stirred eggs in a hurry as they started to rapidly solidify. Her movements couldn''t be called ''good'' even if it was to be blatant flattery. Rui was racking her brain.

    "Hmm. What can I do to teach you?"

    "I''m sorry for bothering you..."

    "No, the one who said she''ll practice with you is Rui-san. For now let''s throw away these scorched scrambled eggs, Rui-san will tell you how to do it now."

    As Rui picked the frying pan while saying that, a small electronic sound came from the terminal.

    "Mail¡ª¡ªit''s from Fuyuki. It says...eh?"

    "What happened Rui-chan?"

    Rui put on a disturbed expression the moment she opened the window, concerned by something. Shio stopped her hands that were working and moved closer. Rui turned the window so that she could see the contents as well¡ª¡ª

    "...please lend me your strength, it says."

    Seeing unknown coordinates marked in there, the two tilted their necks puzzled.

    Notes and References

    - 1.¡ü Now, a quick explanation: Asumi Aoko is written as °¢ÇžÇà×Ó. The two middle kanji''s were taken (bolded) °¢ÇžÇà×Ó and Ê¯ (character for stone) was added making up ÇžÇàÊ¯ ¨C which refers to Iolite (the gem). This is the first time Iolite was written in kanji.

 Volume 3, 5 - Requiem Played In The Sky

    Volume 3, Chapter 5 - Requiem Played In The Sky

    Part 1

    Asumi Aoko was a ''different'' girl.

    The place she was born in wasn''t one built of concrete, but one surrounded by nature. A mountain village.

    She was born to be the only daughter of an ordinary household which worked in agriculture, she spent her childhood while not being exposed to the virtual world.

    The turning point for her was her fifth birthday.

    With the terminal she was given by her parents as a present, Aoko''s talent started blossoming.

    The girl pulled off feats no one else could do, her parents were proud of her being such a ''genius''.

    Reaction of the villagers was just the opposite, chilly. Originally the cyber technology wasn''t popular in the rural areas. In such a small world, Aoko was treated as ''abnormal'' for her technical genius.

    It was primordial fear of an existence they couldn''t understand.

    When her parents died in an accident, they attacked her out of malice and kicked her out of village. She was taken care of by relatives of her mother.

    She was responsible for laundry and cooking in there.

    Rather than a child, that family wanted a convenient handyman¡ª¡ªif that was the truth, she would live a decent life. However, reality was cruel. They vented their anger on Aoko in the form of violence.

    As she lived her hellish everyday life, she learned a single truth.

    ¡ª¡ª I will never be able to walk in the light.

    Part 2

    "¡ª¡ªHaa!!"

    Taiga bisected a black knight who was falling at him from above and jumped, kicking off the wall again.

    "That''s a really ridiculous bodily strength."

    Haya was watching as Taiga rose five metres in the air at a stretch and wanted to raise her voice objecting to such a sight. She ordered "leap" quietly and the silvery-white knight who had Haya on its shoulder jumped, following Taiga. The two of them and one virtual entity were rising up by climbing up the terrace in the middle rather than use stairs again.

    "But is ''that'' really safe?"

    "It''s all right, I''ve got it properly under my control. Want to try manipulating it?"

    While saying so, Haya lightly poked the silver knight¡ª¡ªwhich was still a Zygote just a few minutes earlier.

    That''s what Haya meant when she said she ''thought of it''.

    "To think you would steal the controls of a Zygote and remodel it..."

    "I knew these guys could be controlled. I''m glad I prepared measures to do that just in case. If possible I''d like to control several of them though."

    Haya analysed the attack-configured program Angel created and thought ahead, making a program she could use.

    But as expected, not talking about the horde of hundreds of them, she could only use it on one.

    The enemy''s forces didn''t change, the White Knight rushed through the looming Zygotes destroying them. Sometimes he put Haya who was clad in plain clothes on its shoulder as if it was a knight protecting a princess.

    The entrance hall was far below them already, they had already advanced about eighty metres. At this rate they''ll reach it soon enou¡ª¡ª

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª?!!"

    A chill went Taiga''s spine, he twisted his body making an immediate judgement.

    A huge hatchet cleaved where his neck was just a moment before. Were his reaction be delayed by even a second, he would be already dead.

    "Taiga?! Kuh!!"

    Haya reached out to Taiga who was falling, pulled down by gravity. But at that moment an army of Zygotes appeared by ¡¶Transition¡·, there were at least twenty of them.

    So many...! White Knight alone isn''t¡ª¡ª

    The White Knight''s specs were higher after remodelling by Haya, but it wasn''t a large difference. If they fought then she would lose without a doubt¡ª¡ªhowever, the black knights ignored Haya and fell down, following Taiga.

    "...did they... overlook me?"

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªNo. It''s her, she''s calling me. There was no reason, but she intuitively thought so.

    "¡ª¡ªHead straight to the top floor."

    After staring at the bottom for a moment, she commanded the White Knight.

    I''ll stop Aoko. That''s something I must do!

    Tenryo Taiga was just ''an outsider who was unfortunate to get involved''.

    Were he not to meet her, he wouldn''t have had to suffer such an experience. She couldn''t involve him any more than this in the circumstances of Kiritou.

    Just which gear started turning it in this direction.

    When they met six years ago, when Aoko came to Kiritou, when they decided on developing Iora, or when she has discovered a way to become a Hologhost. Where did they make a mistake.

    She didn''t know. No matter how long she thought about it, she couldn''t find it. Even so¡ª¡ª

    "...I will stop you, Aoko."

    "I''d like to see if you can, Haya. Literally, stop me by force."

    The two embraced the wishes they won''t give up, and stood on the final stage.

    The light converged at one point.

    Ten thousand mental structures gathered throughout Kiritou structure¡ª¡ªthe souls condensed in one place giving off a brilliant shine and forming one huge circuit. By bundling together the information which could be called God''s inviolable area, it created an arrow of destruction to annihilate all that existed in that space.

    "I''m honestly surprised that a day like this would come, where we stand against each other."

    "...so you say. There''s no way someone as smart as you wouldn''t predict me interfering. It was all pre-calculated by you wasn''t it...?"

    "Hmm, I wonder."

    Under the giant light¡ª¡ªthe Logic Bomb ¡¶Indra¡·, the two girls faced each other.

    "...why are you doing something like this?"

    Haya asked quietly.

    "I''ve been thinking about this all the time. Why would you use ¡¶Indra¡· to crush Kiritou. Answer me Aoko, why would your feet slip from the proper road!"

    She broke the promise between the two of them, she became a presence that only lived as a soul.

    Reaping ten thousand lives and using them to destroy everything¡ª¡ªthe reason for that, the source of that hatred, Haya didn''t know of it. She needed to learn about it.

    "A reason huh. I don''t mind telling you, but can you really bother with that now?"

    "...what do you mean?"

    "Generating ¡¶Indra¡· has reached the final stage. I think you know it already, but destroying it is impossible since it''s a mass of ¡¶Impossible to Analyse Data¡·. The only way you can save yourself and Tenryo Taiga is to eliminate me. You don''t have time to waste by chatting do you."

    "From the way you talk, it seems like you won''t withdraw obediently?"

    "Foolish question. If my determination was weak enough to stop because of that, I would have obediently died a year ago."

    A year ago¡ª¡ªwith these words Haya recalled Aoko''s funeral.

    For her who had no relatives the funeral was very simple, the only one attending was Haya.

    The cause of her death was heart disease. In fact, she was sentenced to ''live six months longer'' one month before she died. That''s why it didn''t inspire any doubts in Haya when she died.

    However, Aoko has become a Hologhost.

    The cause of her death must have been excess load on her brain. That meant¡ª¡ª

    "You committed a suicide haven''t you."

    "...it was Kiritou Kouya''s doing. Were I to simply ''commit suicide'' the cause of death could be easily found by examining my body. Honestly it helped me, you were the only one who could examine my body and find out that I became a Hologhost."

    "...that shitty man."

    Haya insulted Kouya in low voice.

    That man must have silenced the police and without scruples provided a fake cause of death. Aoko predicted that and used it to become a Hologhost, moreover thanks to that she was treated as if she died of illness.

    "Now, chat time''s over."

    *pachin*, a dry sound of Aoko''s finger snapping could be heard.

    A ¡¶Zygote¡· emerged from the black stain directly above Aoko. The shape of its armour was different from the ones that were part of her main fighting force. Probably it was specially modified by her.

    "Both of us have a pawn. That''s perfect. How about a proxy battle?"

    "...a fight between Zygotes huh. Very well."

    Just as the two girls took a step back at the same time, the white and black knight stood in front.

    "Oh, that''s right. A single piece of good news for you. Currently I''m using part of my consciousness in order to stall Tenryou Taiga. Think of it as of a handicap."

    "...is that so. I''ll accept it gratefully."

    Kiritou Haya was far inferior to Asumi Aoko. That wasn''t a guess but an undeniable fact.

    But if what she said was truth, then she was remotely operating dozens of ¡¶Zygotes¡· and engaged in combat with Taiga. There might be a chance Haya might be able to exploit.

    There were two ways to damage a virtual body. Either to attack it with an attack-configured program or erode it with a virus.

    One of the pawns, the White Knight was originally ¡¶Zygote¡·, a virus.

    There were means of attacking, as well as a chance for victory.

    All that''s left¡ª¡ªwas to run it.

    "Let''s go, Aoko!"

    According to Haya''s order, the White Knight charged forward while holding a hatchet.

    The Black Knight started moving at the same time, the two knights clashed with a tremendous roar.

    Exhausting the program processing ability the two knights'' slashes crossed. Their trajectories were painted with white and black, an intense sparks scattered throughout the air.

    "Ahaha, your pawn''s not that bad!"

    "It doesn''t feel like it! I know it''s nowhere near enough myself!"

    "No such thing. I know how proficient you are very well. That''s why¡ª¡ªI will get a bit serious as well!"

    As Aoko said that, five windows appeared.

    Aoko spread her hands like an orchestra conductor and started operating on the windows with all ten of her fingers at once. The Black Knight''s armour started to change ominously and he pushed the White Knight back.

    "Tchh¡ª¡ªdamn it!"

    Haya immediately opened a window to strengthen the White Knight in response.

    Stronger, faster, tougher, the two girls continued to cause evolution in their pawn''s armoured bodies.

    ¡¶Zygotes¡· combat ability was fairly simple.

    The foundation of their actions were ''optimal motions corresponding to the current situation''. They were aware of what was happening, moved and acted with maximal efficiency under the current conditions. That''s why neither Haya nor Aoko interfered with their movements and only improved their pawn''s performance.

    The trajectory of the slashes felt into disarray, they started fending off each other''s intense attacks.

    At first glance it seemed like the battle was evenly matched. But little by little the White Knight Haya was using slowly started to become cover with cracks.

    "You monster... You really aren''t using your full strength are you!"

    "How horrible, calling me a monster. In the first place, have you ever won against me?"

    "I never lost in arm wrestling!"

    Haya desperately tried to bite back at her, but Aoko laughed when she heard that and her fingers continued to dance.

    The White Knight could no longer defend. It barely managed to divert the black knight''s attack, the black hatchet crushed its armour and shaved it off.

    I didn''t think winning would be easy, but to think there was such a big difference...!

    That talent was something else, Haya clenched her teeth.

    ¡ª¡ªShe couldn''t reach.

    The speed of her thoughts, processing area, information analysis. Asumi Aoko was winning in every one of these factors.

    And yet, Aoko was still spending some of her thought processes to fight against Taiga. Were she to use her full strength¡ª¡ªshe wouldn''t survive even a second.

    It didn''t mean Haya was weak.

    Even earlier than Fuyuki, she has been thoroughly educated from early childhood and recognized as a gifted child, she was classified among top class researchers in Kiritou. It was just that Asumi Aoko''s ability was not normal.

    "There''s no one who can beat me in Elysion... you''re the one who should know that the best. As usual, you hate losing don''t you."

    "Shut up!"

    Even as they exchanged words, the Black Knight''s evolution continued to accelerate.

    There were no foolish and flashy moves from either of them. Bit by bit, the White Knight''s escape route was being crushed as the number of choices it could do was being limited.

    "Good grief... so is the match over with this?"

    "It''s not over yet."

    Although that''s what Haya said, the outcome was already determined. The Black Knight has surpassed the White Knight in every attribute, even changing strategy wouldn''t give it a chance.

    "How stubborn... fine. I''m already bored with you, it''s time for the next step. It''s time to end this."

    Responding to Aoko''s order, the Black Knight let out an eerie roar. That moment the black hatchet released a huge amount of miasma and became a huge sword.

    "I will put an end to this."

    With a roar, the black sword was swung down.

    Despite raising the hatchet in order to defend, it was torn through and the White Knight''s body was cleaved apart like a piece of paper. Half of the White Knight''s body collapsed and it could no longer function.

    The Black Knight brandished its huge sword in no time and aimed for Haya who was left unguarded¡ª¡ªjust as Haya predicted.

    "Naive¡ª¡ª ¡¶Intercept¡·!!"

    Haya implanted a silver crystal in it, she used the opportunity that appeared when it made a roundhouse slash. The Black Knight''s movement suddenly stopped.

    Its movements stopped for less than a second, but that was enough.

    The right side of the White Knight''s body rose up and cleaved the defenceless Black Knight''s torso.

    "Wha..."

    "It''s over, Aoko!"

    Aoko was shaken for a moment. Haya didn''t miss that opportunity. She closed the distance to her not giving her time to summon a ¡¶Zygote¡· and hit her neck!

    *kiyinn*, a high-pitched metallic sound rang out.

    Haya''s breath turned rough and her head was aching because she overdid it with excessive calculations, she tried getting rid of the excess hit in her head.

    It was quite reckless. In just a moment she used the ¡¶Intercept¡· which was a very forceful move. Her brain was exhausted after continuing the fight, the fatigue hit her now.

    "But, with this somehow..."

    She was able to stop her¡ª¡ªthat''s how it should have been.

    "That made me a bit surprised."

    As a cool voice shook her eardrum, Haya moved her body away.

    "That ¡¶Intercept¡· is the program which snatched away the control over ¡¶Zygote¡· from me right? It''s effect allows to temporarily override administrative privileges. Although I''ve been wary, to think you could steal the control from me even for a second... as expected of you."

    The huge hatchet that was supposed to drop on her neck has been stopped by something that look like a rod.

    It was thin enough for even Aoko''s hands to use it. It was clad in jet-black haze which increases its eeriness several times.

    This is bad¡ª¡ªher instincts was sounding the alarm bells.

    Haya tried to return to the White Knight immediately, but before that a black slash cut through the silvery armour. The White Knight could no longer maintain itself and disappeared, changing into particles of light.

    "I didn''t want to do something as uncouth as fighting myself. I wonder if this body still remembers it? When I created a weapon it naturally took this shape."

    What was in Aoko''s hands, was a jet-black scythe like the incarnation of darkness itself.

    It was exactly the same as the weapon the Grim Reaper virus used once. But for some reason, the way she poised it now felt dozen times more frightening than the original.

    "...let''s go."

    That moment, Aoko disappeared like smoke.

    I lost sight of her, where is¡ª¡ªthe moment she tried to turn around in a hurry, an nasty sound rang out. At the same time she felt discomfort as if someone was pulling out her intestines.

    "I will not stop. Until everything turns into ash, I will step over all hindrances. Even if it''s my my partner."

    Aoko spoke those words right beside Haya''s ears. After slowly pulled out the scythe out of her abdomen, Haya''s body losed its strength and rolled on the ground.

    Not goo¡ª¡ª

    Haya''s consciousness was fading away. In an attempt to clear the field of vision that was being dyed white, she formed a fist and stabbed her nails into her hand.

    There was no pain. Even when she hit her stomach with her fist she couldn''t feel any pain.

    The Cyber World blocked out the pain. But it didn''t block out the feeling of impact. It was surely mentally damaging. Currently Haya was determined ''absolutely not to fall'' which allowed her to maintain her consciousness.

    "Goho... geho!"

    She got a fit of coughing and a rebound from her stomach.

    Let alone standing up, she couldn''t even move. She desperately raised her face to look at Aoko who looked down on at her with cold eyes and smiled with satisfaction.

    "Yup, you''re perfectly on the brink of death. You''ll be a great bait like this."

    ...b...ait?

    Haya was only able to catch the word ''bait'', but she understood its meaning soon enough. The whole situation proceeded to the next stage.

    A sudden explosion roared from centre of the floor.

    Minced pieces of the Black Knights'' appeared from the central terrace and disappeared after turning into particles of light. A white shadow holding a blade landed on the top floor.

    "You came at last, Tenryo Taiga. Aren''t you late."

    "............"

    He ignored Aoko''s provocative words, his eyes wandered towards the scythe and then his gaze switched to Haya who was lying on the floor beside Aoko.

    "...you bitch, so you would go that far."

    Taiga said that in a horribly flat voice. Anger was swelling up in him, he took a step forward. Seeing him like that Aoko expanded a window in the air.

    There, he saw Angel exchange attacks with Fuyuki by using crystals.

    "¡ª¡ªFuyuki!!"

    Although Taiga yelled, his voice didn''t reach her.

    The Fuyuki on the screen seemed like she was nearing her limits, she continued to desperately shoot down the red crystals with a hand pressed on her head.

    "As you can see, your little sister is in my hands. Continuing to harass her like this isn''t bad, but I might as well turn her into a part of ¡¶Indra¡·. There''s not that much fuel for it to use."

    Cloudy, black emotions accumulated in his belly.

    I won''t let you. I''ll protect people who are precious to me¡ª¡ªthat''s the reason I''ve been living for. That''s why I seeked strength.

    If he allowed such a thing, he wouldn''t be able to forgive himself.

    "...but this one''ll be first."

    At the end of his field of view, the large scythe was swung up casually.

    Its blade was aimed at Haya who has fallen on the floor and couldn''t move. Seeing her pupils beg for help, Taiga cried out.

    "Wait¡ª¡ª!"

    "First."

    *slosh*¡ª¡ªa horrible fleshy sound could be heard, a quiet scream spilled from Haya''s mouth.

    "...Tenryo Taiga. The first irregular that has barged into this plan. As a countermeasure for you who has interfered with ¡¶Jail¡·''s and ¡¶Zygote¡·''s performance test, it was essential to carry out this plan."

    Although Aoko said something, it didn''t enter Taiga''s ears.

    What occupied his mind, was anger which blazed crimson.

    Haya''s body collapsed face down, in his mind it overlapped with the appearance of his dead parents. His emotions were dyed red, everything other than Asumi Aoko disappeared from his field of vision.

    "I thought a lot about it. I came up with some countermeasures, but in the end I decided on something easier. Basically, humans become weak when they are tired."

    He clenched the nodachi''s handle with all his strength.

    His endlessly gushing murderous intent was relayed to the weapon, he said quietly.

    "¡ª¡ªI''ll kill you."

    That moment, Taiga jumped tremendously fast.

    ¡´"Activate¡ª¡ªSynchro Infinity!!"¡µ

    Driven by his rage, he pulled out his trump card.

    After he smashed a sky blue crystal, the shackles that tied up Tenryo Taiga have fallen off.

    He cut through the air, leaving behind the scenery. Taiga swung his nodachi at Aoko''s neck who was looking at him with a condescending smile!

    "...when people who surround you get hurt, you become emotional. That''s your weakness, Tenryo Taiga."

    The nodachi that was supposed to slip into her neck was blocked with a black liquid.

    As he looked up momentarily, he saw a large hole about two metres in diameter in the air from which a black miasma overflowed.

    "Come, let''s start the second act."

    She grabbed the neck of Haya who fell over and sprang back. The black miasma surrounded Taiga and formed black knights. Their number was thirty or more.

    However, that wasn''t enough to stop Taiga as he currently was.

    "Out of my way¡ª¡ª!!"

    Fifth form ¡¶Heavenly Mist¡·. More than a dozen black knights turned into particles and disappeared.

    The reason he struggled with them before, was because he was unable to attack. Just thirty of the knights weren''t an opponent for Taiga in his fully synchronized state.

    "Oh-ho, that''s no good. There''s still a lot of them out there."

    As to replenish the numbers after those which disappeared, more miasma continued to flow out of the hole in the air and formed a dozen of Zygotes once again. Taiga took a step back and fought them off reflexively. Although he chopped them into pieces quickly, their resupply didn''t stop.

    "No matter how many viruses of this degree you gather, it won''t work!"

    "I bet. They cannot seal your attacks like they could before. Even if there were fifty of them they wouldn''t be able to stand up to you. But... how about time?"

    "Time?"

    Taiga''s movements didn''t stop. Every time a keen flash of steel cut the black armour an arm or head was cut off.

    Aoko let out a ridiculing laughter as she overlooked him seesawing back and forth.

    "That program of yours... it''s called ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡· isn''t it. How long can you use it?"

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª?!!"

    His movements were disturbed after he heard Aoko''s words.

    It was true that ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡· continued to hack him and there was a large strain on the brain, it couldn''t be used for long periods of time. Its creator, Fuyuki said that there''s a five minute limit. However, Aoko shouldn''t have known it.

    "Could you not underestimate me? You think I was just watching your previous fight with ¡¶Zygote¡· for my enjoyment? I was searching for your weakness."

    During the fight two weeks ago. Taiga did indeed use ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡· for his final attack.

    But that was triggered only for a few seconds. So she must have managed to find its disadvantages in such a short time.

    "I can understand the program''s performance just by looking. I figured it out immediately that using it must''ve involved an accordingly high risk. After learning that, finding countermeasures against you was easy."

    *pachin*, Aoko snapped her fingers.

    The hole in the air further expanded and started to drop a torrent of miasma. All of it turned into Zygotes and pushed onto Taiga with sheer mass.

    "Until your head starts screaming, I''ll continue to conduct this song."

    ¡ª¡ªStalling for time.

    In short that''s how Aoko''s tactic could be described, it was an extremely simple thing.

    However, Taiga was worried about the time limit. Were he to fight with this inexhaustible supply of troops prepared by using players from a large-scaled structure, this tactic could be deadly to him.

    "Shit..."

    He cut down Zygotes surging from all sides.

    Releasing ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡· was not an option. The moment he releases it, he would have been overpowered by the horde of enemies.

    The only choice was to break through by concentrating on one point. But Aoko wouldn''t allow it. The attack came from all directions at all times, the forces were replenished the instant they fell and wouldn''t thin out.

    "Let''s start it... the final stage which will make you run out of strength!"

    In response to Aoko''s words, the Black Knights'' movements were revitalized. The deadly battle has begun.

    "...the number passed four hundred and fifty. I can''t say I expected this."

    Seeing the sight in front her, Aoko let out a breath and exclaimed involuntarily.

    What spread in front of her, was truly a battlefield. In order to crush one boy a number of soldiers flocked. The boy was slashing the black downpour which pushed on him from all directions. The tip of the sword moved at a crazy speed which made it blur as it continued cutting apart one Black Knight after another.

    "Taking down more than one per second... that''s an instant death one should fear. It was the correct decision to be wary."

    Aoko infested a number of virtual bodies with ¡¶Zygote¡· and reared them. Their number was approximately a thousand and five hundred.

    She acquired such a number in case a problem were to appear in the large-scaled structure, thanks to that she still had a lot of fighting force left. But she didn''t expect she would spend a third of the force on one person.

    "Oh well¡ª¡ªisn''t he about to hit the limit?"

    A smile spilled on Aoko''s face and she started to walk slowly towards the battlefield.

    His thoughts were screaming.

    "¡ª¡ªHaa!"

    He did a roundhouse kick and a cut at the same time. As he turned around he immediately cut the neck of the Black Knight who was behind him.

    With nodachi in his hand, Taiga continued to single-mindedly hunt the ¡¶Zygotes¡·.

    Taiga made the circular area around him his own and continued to cut down any enemy that stepped inside. Renjou Sword Technique Sixth Form ¡¶Enkuu¡·. Although at first he didn''t allow any enemy to approach him within a two metres radius, he was currently fighting at a distance where they were almost grazing his cheeks.

    "Guh...ah...!"

    *zukin*... a fierce pain ran through him.

    Taiga''s movement visibly dulled, the hatchets were swung at him from all the sides as enemy saw an opportunity.

    He somehow parried it and avoided a mortal blow by dodging but a small cut was engraved on his body.

    All of his five senses were blurred as if he had a high fever.

    The ringing in his ears continued to increase more and more, he was attacked by a illusion that made him feel as if he was to lose sensation in his fingers.

    It''s been already seven minutes since he triggered ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡·, Taiga''s body exceeded the limit long time ago. And yet he still continue to fight, driven by his strong will. However, the turnaround of the situation was nowhere in sight.

    And then¡ª¡ªthe time has come.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª?!!"

    Against his will, force left his knees. At the same time a severe pain incomparable to what he felt hit his entire body, colour was drained from his vision.

    "...checkmate."

    A quiet declaration. It was the signal.

    When Taiga stopped moving two huge hatchets penetrated his shoulders, furthermore his entire back has been slashed.

    "Agah...!!!"

    The nodachi fell out of Taiga''s hands and dropped on the floor with a dry sound.

    Although Taiga would normally fall, both of his pierced shoulders locked his body in the air like a model. With his knees on the ground and hung down head he looked like a sinner sentenced and waiting for punishment.

    He desperately raised his face while feeling a pain that made it seem like his body was falling apart. His vision was still blurred, yet he still wasn''t released as Asumi Aoko pushed through between the black knights.

    "You did well to get this far. I didn''t think you would withstand this much. You have my honest praise."

    "...s..hut...up..."

    As Aoko gave him an applause and clapped her hands, he glared at her while releasing killing intent.

    He tried to force his body to move, but he felt a throb in his head every time causing his consciousness to recede.

    "Good grief, could you not look at me with such eyes?"

    Aoko slowly brandished the jet-black scythe.

    Although she had a smile on her face, her eyes were cold and didn''t show any emotions.

    "If you look at me with such impudent eyes... I''ll feel like crushing them."

    Together with the clear voice, the scythe''s blade pierced through Taiga''s left eye.

    "¡ª¡ªGAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!!!!"

    He screamed.

    Ignoring Taiga''s screams which were loud enough to tear eardrums, Aoko focused on the scythe in her hands.

    With nasty fleshy sounds, the blade entered his back. Feeling a severe pain as if his nerves were torn apart and a discomfort in his head, Taiga continued to scream. If he didn''t, he would go crazy.

    After a dozen of seconds that felt like forever, the sickle was withdrawn slowly.

    If it were reality, pieces of meat would have clung to the blade, but there were none in here. Aoko looked at him satisfied and walked behind him.

    "Wa...it... whe...re...are you...going..."

    "...that''s surprising. You''re still conscious."

    Aoko made a surprised expression as she heard a low voice he squeezed from his lungs.

    Taiga''s posture was unchanged, he found Aoko with his remaining eye. Although, his breath was faint and the only thing that kept his consciousness together was his will.

    "The rebound from the program should have caused you a fierce pain, I''m amazed about your strength of will. Well, it would have been better for you if you obediently lost consciousness."

    A normal human being would have fainted long time ago, no, it wouldn''t be weird if they died from shock¡ª¡ªthat''s how painful it was. Aoko has comitted a suicide by burning out her brain in the past, she knew a bit about that pain.

    She stood in front of Taiga, strongly grabbed his hair and forcibly raised his face. A horrible noise was running through his left eye, but his right eye displayed an unchanged and strong will in it.

    So he can still make such eyes.

    Aoko admired those eyes a great deal.

    Tenryo Taiga no longer had any strength to raise his face.

    He couldn''t hold his sword nor defeat any Black Knights, he couldn''t even dream of stopping Aoko. Were she to swing down her scythe¡ª¡ªwith just that, his life would have been easily extinguished.

    "W..hy...?"

    "Nn?"

    "...why...would you...betr..ay..Haya...like...that? Isn''t...she your best...friend...?"

    His voice was quiet enough to disappear carried off by the wind. Aoko looked at the Logic Bomb which slowly expanded above her and released Taiga''s hair from her hand.

    "The reason huh. Oh well, there''s no need to hide it and ¡¶Indra¡·''s generation is slower than estimated so I''ll tell you some of it."

    Aoko put her fingers on Taiga''s forehead.

    As she did that a light colour appeared, a scenery Taiga has never seen flowed through his head.

    "I implanted some data into your mind. The stimulus might be a little too strong, so try not to break okay?"

    Asumi Aoko has become a Hologhost and obtained some freedom in manipulating mental structures. Two week ago, she sealed some of Shio''s emotions.

    Because she was like that, she could replicate and transfer memories as well. In Taiga''s head the memory of the original ''Asumi Aoko'' has been imputed.

    Those were, gruesome memories.

    "In a trade off in exchange for Kiritou Kouya to allow us to develop AI ?Iolite, I agreed on developing military programs. That''s because that miser wouldn''t allow research that wasn''t profitable. So I''ve been made to do such things, I didn''t resist it."

    A memory was played out, a sight he didn''t know appeared and disappeared.

    ¡ª¡ªFirst, it was just a security program.

    He gave her a norm and ordered her to produce, she made things according to his instructions. Legitimate programs like ones used by police. However, Kouya''s instructions slowly became more extreme as not to make Aoko too aware of it.

    Surveillance cameras, motion sensing, aircraft control systems, the backbone of the Kiritou Headquarters'' structure defence system, anti-air defence systems¡ª¡ªno one knew as she continued to be entrusted with more and more important work.

    "Now that I look back, placing me and partnering me with Haya was a trickery. My senses were clearly paralyzed. Every day I spent with Haya was fun and my recognition of right and wrong has become ambiguous."

    That''s why she took on the task of developing military programs. If just that much allowed her to research and develop something together with her best friend, she would do it without thinking twice.

    "I was reminded of my foolishness three years ago. I was curious how the program I made was used... and learned that it was a murder weapon used in war zones."

    In the end, it was something made by a child. It couldn''t be all that important.

    Those optimistic thoughts of hers were crushed with ease.

    She made it. She made a program made to murder people¡ª¡ªno, because of her a lot of people died.

    "I was in shock. I felt like I fell into the abyss. I knew I no longer had the qualification to live in the light, I reached out to it with regret... and this is the price."

    A scene emerged in Taiga''s mind.

    A season during which cherry blossoms fluttered around, the two girls laughed together while wearing brand new uniforms. The girl who was walking a road full of light and hope for the future was reminded that she was still in hell.

    "I didn''t say I want to quit. If I stopped my development Kiritou Kouya would have immediately discarded Iolite. Also... my hand was stained with blood a long time ago. That''s why, I just did what I could. Even if it was hell."

    Even though she knew people would die, she still continued to develop.

    She at least resisted when ¡¶Zygote¡· and ¡¶Indra¡· were in the conceptual stage and destroyed them as high risk programs. She knew well that it was hypocrisy.

    "Then one day, a doctor has sentenced me to death."

    Life expectancy, six months¡ª¡ªit was already too late for treatment.

    "Of course I feared death. But even more than that, I was relieved. With that I would be free from this hell, I wanted to use my remaining time for myself... and yet, do you know what that man, Kiritou Kouya thought?"

    She thought she will be free by the very end.

    For her who was always tied to something, she wanted a bit time for herself. She wanted to go to the bright places along with Haya. It was her last chance. And that¡ª¡ª

    "¡ª¡ª¡º''Then spit out all the knowledge and skills you have during these remaining six months.''¡». The day I was sentenced to live six more months, that man said so."

    You are a tool. You will be used until you''re broken. Having her remaining time taken away made her feel outraged.

    That''s when anger, resentment, hatred have flowed into Taiga... excessively strong negative feelings were boiling. It became the root of Asumi Aoko''s revenge.

    "I''ll destroy everything. Kiritou Kouya, and this silly kingdom he made by using me all all all of it will be destroyed not leaving a single piece behind."

    "............"

    She looked down at Taiga who didn''t say anything, Aoko aimed the scythe''s blade once again.

    No more talking. She will eliminate the nuisance, end him.

    "See you, Tenryo Taiga."

    The decapitating slash was swung down.

    Just as the blade of darkness has been plunged into Taiga''s defenceless neck¡ª¡ªjust before the blade sank in, it stopped.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª?!"

    Aoko''s eyes were stained with surprise.

    What stopped the scythe, was Taiga''s hand which shouldn''t have had any will to move.

    He gripped the blade with all his strength, it didn''t move even though Aoko tried her all.

    "...I finally get it."

    Taiga murmured quietly and forced himself up.

    The hatchets in his shoulders sliced the nerves, a severe pain ran through his entire body. But that was fine.

    ...it''s alike.

    He finally found a reason why he recognized Aoko as the enemy the moment he met her.

    They were alike, this girl and him. They resembling each other a lot. That''s why¡ª¡ªhe couldn''t acknowledge Asumi Aoko.

    "...someone has to put an end to it."

    "...what?"

    *mshrr*, the sickle Taiga grasped let out a sound.

    He forcibly pulled out the hatchet from his shoulders. He didn''t feel any pain, and his anger has reached critical point long ago.

    "It''s not about your suicide. But you know, don''t involve your best friend in something that stupid! If you want to die, then die alone!"

    Just by shouting his consciousness receded. The severe pain from his crushed left eye felt like poison, his vision was dyed red.

    Even so, he didn''t fall. He couldn''t afford to fall.

    There should''ve been a different path she could have taken.

    Be happy according to that path, be fulfilled after choosing that ending. And yet¡ª¡ªwhy would she choose a path on which no one would be saved.

    He didn''t approve of such a story. He didn''t approve of such an outcome.

    Tenryo Taiga bet everything he had, as he absolutely needed to change this ending.

    "Such a wasteful story¡ª¡ªright here, right now. I''ll put an end to it!"

    He stared straight in front of him and declared.

    Tenryo Taiga will deny Asumi Aoko¡ª¡ªthat was the meaning embedded in these words.

    "...hee."

    Aoko tried to shake off Taiga''s hand and hit the ground lightly with the scythe''s handle.

    With that the ¡¶Zygotes¡· activated and surrounded him.

    "I don''t really get what you''re saying... but I can understand that you want to continue fighting with me. But are you going to do it with such a worn out body?"

    It was just as Aoko said, Taiga had wounds all over his body. Although it wasn''t damage that could be called critical, but it was a miracle he was still standing.

    "Suuu....haaa..."

    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    Again and again, deeper and deeper, he did it countless times.

    With his breathing came pain, it swallowed his feelings and roused the instinct inside his consciousness.

    "...it''s been two months since I last intended to kill a person."

    He went back in time.

    Reawakening ''himself'' from the time before reunited with her.

    He slowly opened his eyes, in the sky-blue pupils dwelled an unwavering will.

    "¡ª¡ªLet''s start, Asumi Aoko."

    That moment, Aoko felt a thirst for blood which made her blood freeze.

    While feeling a horrifying sensation grabbing her heart she lost the mental battle, she snapped her fingers.

    "Get him!"

    As they were ordered to, the Black Knights kicked off the ground and jumped.

    Taiga kicked up the nodachi that was lying on the ground with his foot¡ª¡ªand he vanished.

    He reappeared few metres away right before a materializing Black Knight and lightly swung his fist. The blow that shouldn''t have hit anything has captured the assaulting Black Knight''s head from the right side and pulverized it.

    "¡ª¡ª ¡¶Raijyuji¡·"

    In no time he twisted his body and released a lightning fast double attack.

    The Black Knight''s armour was decomposed in an instant. Aiming at Taiga the moment he still hasn''t changed his posture, dozens of Black Knights rushed at him¡ª¡ªand they exploded with a flash.

    With a speed that made it look hazy, the blade has drawn multiple slashes in an instant. Unable to wield their hatchets any longer, the Black Knights became wreckage.

    "HAAAaa!!!!"

    It wasn''t a fighting style driven by anger like the one he used earlier.

    These were sophisticated movements without any waste, a refined way of fighting which purely dedicated his movements to destroying the target.

    ...calm down, he''s just using a way of fighting that won''t put a burden on his body. Tenryo Taiga reached his limit long time ago. There''s no element that would make me lose.

    Aoko analysed the situation calmly.

    No matter what he said, the damage to his body didn''t disappear.

    There was no way his brain would recover from a fatigue that made him fall over once already¡ª¡ªshe know that.

    But what is this feeling?

    One of his eyes was crushed. His body was cut up. His trump card ¡¶Synchro Infinity¡· already passed its limit.

    Asumi Aoko couldn''t win against Tenryo Taiga¡ª¡ªsuch a baseless thought was stuck in her head and wouldn''t leave.

    He soared with a flash.

    It was as if everything other than him was in slow motion, the Black Knights were trampled over not even having a chance to counter-attack. At a speed that couldn''t be followed with eyes, sometimes he crushed them with his body, sometimes he cut them up, and continued to reduce their numbers.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª!! Adding body connection path, continuous transition!"

    When she returned to herself, Aoko added another summoning point, doubling it.

    A dull pain hit her because of the sudden load, a mass of Zygotes which transferred from another large-scale structure attacked Taiga.

    ¡ª¡ªHe sped up even more?!"

    But, even so, they didn''t reach him.

    Rather than grow dull, Taiga''s movements became faster and sharper. He cut up the Black Knights in a blink of an eye.

    Witnessing that sight, Aoko realized.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªUntil this boy defeats himself, he will never fall. He had no bounds, he would become infinitely strong.

    "...! What is... this?"

    Unexpectedly, an unknown memory appeared in her mind.

    Happily walking with his parents and little sister, a large truck plunging towards her. The siblings who ran escaped, the dying parents.

    It''s not my memory... did the circuitry have a rebound?

    The electronic circuits planted Taiga''s memory in her.

    Although it was supposed to be the other way around, Tenryo Taiga''s memory, the strongest one among them flowed into Aoko.

    ¡ª¡ªA young boy who lost everything.

    Separated by death with his parents, and torn away from his remaining little sister.

    Even so he tried to live and face forward. If there was next time, he swore to himself to become strong enough in body and mind so that he could protect what was precious to him then.

    However, the boy was weak.

    He was adopted by a military clan. A complete amateur was given the last name of the head family. It resulted with him being bullied, he was beaten up and ragged down every day.

    But the boy endured and put in a desperate effort. If he becomes strong enough he''ll find the place he belongs to¡ª¡ªhe believed in that. And eventually found it.

    However, soon enough he was chased away from it. It was simple. While there were people who didn''t acknowledge weakness, there were also people who hated strong people. In the boy''s case, it was the people of Renjou''s main family.

    Strength is everything. That was the iron law of Renjou. If the boy continues to grow at this rate, he will deprive us of the family head''s seat¡ª¡ªthey feared that happening, and sent the nine year old boy to the battlefield. They hoped and prayed for his death.

    His memories from the past were gruesome enough to make her want to turn away, they were full of blood and death.

    Kill or be killed. Under such an abnormal environment he killed for the first time, he wasn''t given any time to repent. He made eye contact with people as he killed killed killed and continued to kill them.

    How many hundreds, how many thousands. He sowed death.

    He continued to circle around battlefields accustomed to death, stained with blood, he became a human who robbed people of their lives without any hesitation.

    And one day, after three years from the moment he first killed¡ª¡ªhe noticed that he thought nothing of his parents death and despaired.

    He bore hatred for everything.

    The environment that drove him to that point, he thought of killing all the folks who made him like that.

    And yet, he stopped himself from doing that.

    Let''s live together one day¡ª¡ªthe only family he had left, in order to protect the promise with his little sister, the boy discarded hatred.

    "............don''t fuck with me."

    Glimpsing into that memory, Aoko murmured dumbfounded.

    It was the same.

    Deprived of their place to stay, living a life while being treated like a tool. And¡ª¡ªaccumulating a multitude of sins, yet still reaching towards the light.

    The only difference was the result. He discarded the hatred, she decided on having revenge.

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!!"

    She clenched her teeth strongly until they creaked.

    I won''t acknowledge it. Just this boy, she absolutely couldn''t acknowledge his existence¡ª¡ªit was nothing as simple as cognate aversion, a searing anger was born deep within her.

    "All individuals... Armour Create!"

    Driven by rage, she cried out towards the heaven.

    The Black Knights who were fighting against Taiga turned back to miasma and wrapped around Aoko.

    The miasma covered her torso and limbs before crystallizing, changing into a darkness-coloured armour. Aoko grasped an atrocious scythe with an over one metre blade in one hand and swung it.

    Aoko became a mass of murderous intent and glared at him, Taiga responded her squarely.

    "Why... you''re the same, even though you are the same as me!!"

    "¡ª¡ªCome. Cut that out and let''s finish this."

    "WHY IS IT ONLY YOU STAYING IN THE LIGHTTTTTTTTTTT!!!"

    The two kicked off the ground at the same time and clashed with a loud roar.

    Part 3

    At about the same time as Taiga and Aoko engaged each other in a deadly battle. In the special structure prepared by Aoko, the ¡¶Prison¡·, the cyber warfare was about to reach its imminent conclusion.

    "Cut it out, how about you give up."

    The defence program Aoko prepared¡ª¡ª¡¶Angel¡· stared at Fuyuki soberly.

    "Haa... haa...!!"

    Fuyuki didn''t answer. No, she couldn''t afford to answer would be more correct.

    The number of attacks they exchanged reached three digits. A countless number of attack-configured programs has been created. Once she even created a hundred of them at once. And yet, it was all in vain.

    Angel looked down at Fuyuki as she exhaled roughly and spoke quietly.

    "I''ve told you earlier, I have no intention of harming you. And yet, why do you continue that despite knowing you can''t win? It''s hard to understand."

    No matter what she does she couldn''t surpass Angel who received the backup of the main server, a smart girl like her should know it.

    And yet, she didn''t give up.

    "...it''s because, you showed me, such a video...!"

    Fuyuki answered while catching her breath.

    What she was shown, was Taiga being cut by numerous Black Knights, as well as him having his left eye pierced with a scythe. After being shown such a thing, there was no way she could stay calm.

    "Because of such emotions which last only for a moment you repeat your pointless resistance. Truly pointless."

    The Angel laughed and described her resistance as ''foolish''.

    "There''s a limit to how much one person can do. You can''t defeat me, that reality won''t change no matter how hard you try, that''s the absolute truth."

    This single girl who seemed to be stuck in this hell until she died.

    And after living that silly life, she arrived at a single truth. Her hatred concentrated in these words.

    "...are you an idiot?"

    Fuyuki discarded it all with a single word.

    "¡ª¡ªWhat?"

    "People have limits? Nothing will change no matter how hard they try? Even if you say that. That''s not a reason to give up is it."

    Tenryou Fuyuki understood she was a highly eccentric human being.

    The only thing she had was her technical skills in cyber technology. She was bad at sports and exercise, she didn''t possess the necessary skills required for everyday life. Also, she was fragile mentally.

    She was supported by Taiga and Rui as well as Shio, and became able to live a decent life.

    "If it''s impossible alone then do it with two people. If it''s impossible with two people then do it with three people. When Little Sister was in pain, Brother supported her. That''s why, when Brother is in pain his little sister must support him. ''Impossible'' or ''it can''t be done'' has nothing to do with it."

    She separated the words with small pauses during which she took small breaths every time.

    "Before giving up one has resist with all their strength, That''s what Little Sister thinks."

    "...!"

    These words as if seeing through it, have pierced Aoko''s heart which was dwelling in Angel''s chest.

    ¡ª¡ªWhat do you know about me.

    Fuyuki and I are different.

    There was someone who reached out to her. Aoko didn''t have such a person.

    Resist what. You are just blessed, that''s all¡ª¡ª!!

    "¡ª¡ªI didn''t intend to harm you, but I changed my mind."

    Driven by fury it clamped on Fuyuki''s neck. In its hand was a red light¡ª¡ªa military program which captured the mental structure ¡¶Jail¡·.

    "You''ll die here."

    There was no hesitation, at this rate ¡¶Jail¡· would steal her mental structure and fuel ¡¶Indra¡·¡ª¡ªyes, it was then.

    Suddenly, power left Angel''s body.

    "Wh...at...?"

    *clank*, it collapsed on its knees. Its body became as heavy as lead for some reason. The ¡¶Jail¡· could no longer be maintained and melted away into the air. And it heard the voice of a third party that wasn''t (shouldn''t be) in there.

    ¡´"Nnn... can it be that we barely made it in time?"¡µ

    ¡´"Hime-chan, you all right?"¡µ

    "Yes. Nice timing, Rucchan, Shii-chan."

    Angel forced its face up and stared at the two girls reflected on the window.

    "Saionji Rui, Karasuba Shio... why those girls¡ª¡ªno, rather than that, what did you do?!"

    Its body was heavy to an impossible extent. This state, it seemed like its processing area wasn''t enough to make it move.

    That''s when it looked towards the huge sphere that was behind the two girls.

    "¡ª¡ªIt can''t be."

    "Yes it can."

    Unlike how it was before, Fuyuki slowly rose up and looked down on Angel.

    "You are getting support from the main server. That means your circuits are connected with it. But that also works in reverse and if the load from the server is directed to you, you won''t be able to do anything."

    What Fuyuki sent to Rui and Shio were coordinates of the main server. And with a plan message ''please access the main server and reverse all vector operations'' she instructed them.

    Honestly, she didn''t know whether they will manage to do it in time¡ª¡ªbut they splendidly accomplished it.

    "Kuh... I''ve been... by someone like you...!"

    "You are an amazing programmer. Were Little Sister to be alone, there would be nothing she could do."

    Through Angel, she spoke to the program''s author.

    Not only did it borrowed computing power from the server, acted autonomously but also had its own will. The current Fuyuki would faster make a handstand before making something like that. But¡ª¡ª

    "...Little Sister isn''t alone. That''s the reason for your defeat."

    She shot blue crystals towards Angel and disassembled the program. Within a few seconds Angel disappeared not leaving a single piece behind.

    "...you two, I''ll head over there right now. Make sure you prepare to move."

    Fuyuki looked towards where Angel was for a moment and then after entering the coordinates of the main server she used ¡¶Transition¡·.

    Part 4

    "Uuu..."

    Hit by a shock wave and trembling air, Haya woke up.

    The sound of metal crossing again and again pierced through her eardrums, her consciousness slowly became lucid.

    "Koho... ha... kua..."

    Because of a foreign sensation in her belly she started coughing. Her blurred vision caught a trajectory of white and black objects which yelled. She slowly looked up and saw Taiga and Aoko clash against each other.

    It was a clash of two souls.

    Both of them unleashed speed which surpassed the limit and dozens of their attacks crossed. The two blades clashed and an invisible shock wave destroyed everything around them.

    "UUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo!!!"

    "UUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

    With every blow that roared, the world was cracking.

    The power of the two rose infinitely. Taiga was drawing strength from within himself, Aoko continued to evolve by absorbing ¡¶Zygotes¡·.

    Neither of them would acknowledge the other¡ª¡ªthat was the driving force for both of them.

    While they traveled the path of sin together, they still longed for the light. They didn''t give up, they desperately extended their hands to it.

    Tenryo Taiga managed to grasp it. He chose to escape to the person who would accept him.

    Asumi Aoko didn''t grasp it. She couldn''t speak of her suffering to anyone, and sank into the abyss.

    If I were to make a choice like that then¡ª¡ªthey found what was the correct and the incorrect answer, and Aoko felt the road she has walked on was meaningless.

    That''s why Tenryo Taiga and Asumi Aoko bet everything and fought.

    The two forcibly clashed, it was strong enough to blow away each other ten metres away.

    Although Taiga wanted to rebuild his posture and run, a fierce pain ran through his whole body making him kneel.

    "Ga¡ª¡ª¡ªha¡ª¡ªaa...a..."

    His heart ached, the anchor holding his consciousness was fading.

    He went past his limit a long time ago. Taiga moved his broken body forcibly not allowing himself to be defeated.

    As he desperately looked up, he saw Aoko crouch and hold her head.

    "Haa... haa... aghhh!!"

    Even though Aoko boasted of her extraordinary processing power, absorbing hundreds of ¡¶Zygotes¡· put an immeasurable load on her. Her thinking circuits would collapse were she to fight any longer.

    Even so, the two stood up.

    "I, won''t lose... I will destroy everything... and end it... I won''t lose at a place...like this"

    "Give me a break you spoiled kid... to the very end you haven''t fucking done anything at all!"

    Taiga roared strongly. In front of him was ''himself who made a mistake''¡ª¡ªthat''s why he couldn''t acknowledge her.

    "You neither fought it nor escaped, you just let the circumstances take you away! Scared of changes, scared of being rejected, you shouldered everything alone!"

    "...shut up."

    "With just one phrase ''help me'' your life would have been saved! You selfishly plunged yourself into despair because you couldn''t say that!"

    "Shut up..."

    "You just wanted to be beside someone! You just wanted someone to reach out to you! Both you, and we, would be happy with just thaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAT!!!"

    "SHUT UPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!

    The nodachi and the scythe crossed again.

    The cries of heart of the two reached Haya who was lying down.

    "Ao...ko..."

    She muttered the name of her best friend and cursed herself.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ªWhy am I sleeping in a place like this.

    Haya noticed. She knew Asumi Aoko was being troubled by something, she knew Aoko continued to suffer. But despite noticing, she couldn''t do anything.

    She was scared.

    For the girl called Kiritou Haya, Kiritou Kouya was absolute. That''s why the girl who was cornered by her father pretended as if she didn''t know anything. She did so that she wouldn''t get hurt.

    ...in the end, I was just suiting myself.

    Were she to extend a helping hand back then, Aoko might have lived a happy life.

    Without going for stupid revenge, she could live her life and leave the world with a smile on her face¡ª¡ªsuch a regret occupied Haya''s mind.

    I must... go...

    After exerting strength with both of her arms she raised her body.

    She had to stop her best friend who went down the wrong road.

    It couldn''t be anyone else, she had to finish that girl''s story with her own hands. It was her duty to end that girl''s derailed life.

    With determination filling her chest, in order to bring down the curtains she started walking towards the battlefield.

    How many times have they clashed.

    The two didn''t know the exact number themselves. The slashes crossed countless number of times and the two continued to be blown away.

    "Haa... hhaa..."

    They continued to breathe irregularly and somehow stood up.

    Both of them were clearly at their limit. They literally put a desperate effort into this fierce battle, they could no longer feel pain nor fatigue.

    Without even a need to say it they knew it¡ª¡ªnext one, was the last.

    Neither of them spoke.

    The time to talk was over. What they could do, was only to celebrate the end of the battle.

    *clank*, a sound of something swaying could be heard.

    ""¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!!""

    It was a signal, the white and black flashed at the same time.

    The nodachi slashed Aoko''s body and the scythe stabbed into Taiga''s belly.

    As the two went beyond their limits the blades of their weapons broke and rolled on the ground.

    After a few seconds of rest.

    "............sh...it..."

    The one who fell¡ª¡ªwas Tenryo Taiga.

    He lost strength in his body after swinging his sword and plunged forward, he couldn''t move any more.

    His consciousness seemed to remain. His fingertips moved trying to struggle. However, that was all. Taiga couldn''t raise his body.

    Seeing the enemy she has defeated Aoko quietly laughed.

    "...how unfortunate, isn''t it."

    Both their attack power and speed were equal. If they were to fight against each other in a perfect state, Taiga would have won thanks to the combat experience he had.

    What decided his defeat was the accumulated damage.

    From the very beginning Taiga was fighting by using his own body, different from Aoko who cornered him using her pawns.

    ¡´"Mental structure synthesis complete. Logic Bomb ¡¶Indra¡· generation sequence process completed."¡µ

    As she looked up into the air an inorganic announcement came, the giant star made out of ten thousand absorbed mental structures shined like a sun. All that was left was to say ''fall'' and this world would have been turned into dust.

    "With this, it''s all ov¡ª¡ª¡ª............er...?"

    She tried to move her finger in order to accomplish her objective that''s when. *thud*, something hit her back.

    An unpleasant sensation came from her chest and her limbs lost their strength. When she frightfully looked towards it, she saw the blade of the nodachi which was broken off earlier protrude from her left breast.

    "...I''m sorry Aoko. I can''t let your objective come true."

    "Ha...ya..."

    She muttered the name of her best friend who pierced her from behind, a cold sensation came from her left breast which had a hole in it. The sensation slowly spread throughout her body, and her senses faded.

    I''m... dying...?

    Her body temperature, the warm of life was dissipating.

    Strangely clear, she could hear the sound of her own breathing, it was becoming more and more shallow.

    "N...o..."

    ¡ª¡ªOnce again, she will go back to that place.

    A place where light doesn''t reach, a dark and cold place, she was to go there alone. She still hasn''t accomplished anything.

    A silly and ridiculous ending like this, for what sake has betrayed her best friend and clung to her life.

    If she died here and now, the life of Asumi Aoko,

    Would be meaningless¡ª¡ª

    Worth...less¡ª¡ª

    "NOOooo... I DON''T WANT THATTTTTTTTTTttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt!!!"

    Asumi Aoko let out a scream putting spitting a curse that would destroy anything.

    The powerful emotions she lost control of flowed through the ¡¶Zygote¡· which infested her body, the star of doom in the sky started to slowly fall down. The Black Knights which turned into an immobile armour turned back into a muddy stream and flowed to swallow Haya.

    "Haya...! Gu...gahhh...aaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

    That moment Taiga raised a war cry as if to order his body ''move'' and jumped into the contamination.

    He desperately broke through the darkness which wrapped around her body, he pulled her powerless arms out the miasma.

    "Geho...gouh... Haya! Hey! Pull yourself together!"

    "............Tai...ga?"

    Since she was limp he kept slapping her cheeks, finally she reacted and returned.

    She stared at Taiga with unfocused gaze, but soon enough she understood what was the situation. She tried to get up in a hurry, but her body didn''t listen to her and was unsteady.

    "What about Aoko...?"

    "Above. We were washed away and are about ten floors below."

    As she looked up, she saw Aoko far above. But that wasn''t all there was.

    The Logic Bomb ¡¶Indra¡· was slowly crushing the building, slowly but surely it was falling.

    The walls and rooms continued to become meaningless data the instant it touched them, the giant star continued to expand as it absorbed it.

    "It''s GAME OVER if that reaches the bottom. We''ll be all done for. That''s troubling."

    "It''s not time to take this leisurely! Now that it''s been activated even destroying Aoko won''t stop it! We need to hurry and do something¡ª¡ª"

    "Yeah, you''re right. That''s why I''ll do something about it. You should hurry and go back to the top."

    "Eh...?"

    "¡ª¡ªThis time end it properly. Her story."

    That''s your role, he said as he stared straight at Haya.

    Haya stared back at his pupils and responded with a small nod.

    "I''ll leave it to you."

    "Yeah, leave it to me."

    That was enough.

    She forced her legs to move and went up the stairs. Taiga looked as she slowly disappeared and jumped down from the terrace.

    "There we... go."

    He killed the momentum by kicking off the wall and nearly instantly arrived at the first floor.

    It was a soft landing with almost no shock dealt to him, his body passed its limit long time ago. His consciousness was fading away simply by moving his limbs, his entire body screamed.

    "Now then. I said ''leave it to me''... but what do I do."

    He looked up at the giant light that was gradually looming down and murmured.

    Although he wanted to do something, ¡¶Heavenly Sword¡· was broken. He had no choice but to let Haya go, and alone he couldn''t do anything.

    Still, he tried to do something alone. It was at that time.

    ¡´"Brother! Are you safe?!"¡µ

    A window opened in front of him and Fuyuki''s voice sounded at the same time.

    "Fuyuki! You''re safe, that''s great!"

    ¡´"Thanks to Rucchan and Shii-chan I somehow managed. And Brother... seems to be in a dangerous situation."¡µ

    "Rui and Shio? They came?"

    ¡´"Yes. We''re together in the server room now. Rather than that, we will remove the barrier right now, please log out immediately!"¡µ

    Understanding the situation on his side, Fuyuki''s eyes looked towards the falling ¡¶Indra¡·. Judging from her expression, it must''ve been really bad. But¡ª¡ª

    "...no. I can''t do that."

    He couldn''t run away alone.

    Unable to believe his words, Fuyuki cried out as blood drained out of her face.

    ¡´"Brother, what are you saying?! Don''t you know how horrifying that is?!"¡µ

    "I do understand."

    ¡´"Then¡ª¡ª"¡µ

    "...I promised that I''ll do something about that."

    The one he promised with was no longer there. Still¡ª¡ªthe little girl disappeared relieved after he promised her that.

    That''s why, he couldn''t run away. If he did, he would betray her trust.

    There was determination in his pupils, Fuyuki sighed and seemed like she was about to cry.

    ¡´"...haa. Really, you continue to trouble people don''t you. It would be fine to just leave it."¡µ

    "Sorry."

    ¡´"But... that''s the Brother I fell in love with."¡µ

    She wiped the corners of her eyes, and determination appeared in her eyes.

    Fuyuki waved her hand, and the attack-configured program ¡¶Heavenly Sword¡· which should have been destroyed appear beside Taiga.

    ¡´"Little Sister made a back-up. Brother needs to plunge it straight into the nucleus in the Logic Bomb''s centre. It''ll end with that."¡µ

    "Got it."

    He didn''t need to know the reason nor principle behind that.

    She told him to plunge it in. All that was left was to believe her and do it.

    "¡ª¡ªI''m going!"

    Taiga gained momentum and leaped while pulling the nodachi. He rushed towards the giant shining star.

    Part 5

    "Rucchan, please direct all the server''s computing power to Little Sister. Shii-chan, cut off the connection with all other structures!"

    "On it!

    "U-understood!"

    In Kiritou headquarters'' server room, Fuyuki gave out one instruction after another.

    Fuyuki operated the console with a furious speed and aggregated all the processing power of the main server, she used all of it to back the ¡¶Heavenly Sword¡· that was in Taiga''s possession.

    A Logic Bomb was causing errors by dumping a huge amount of information that was impossible to process. In other words, the errors don''t occur if the information is processed.

    The method Fuyuki intended to use was simple. She used Kiritou''s main server and she collected all the processing power in ¡¶Heavenly Sword¡· to process the information the moment nucleus was being destroyed.

    "Thank you very much, you two. Leave the rest to Little Sister."

    After saying that to Rui and Shio Fuyuki continued to single-mindedly hit the console.

    "............"

    Shio quietly stared at Fuyuki''s back. It seemed very, very distant to her.

    "Fuyuki''s amazing. We can''t do such a thing."

    Before Shio noticed, Rui standing beside her spoke to her. Shio didn''t answer, she only stared at Fuyuki who worked in silence.

    "Frustrating, isn''t it. Taiga and Fuyuki are doing their best, and we can''t do anything."

    "...Rui-chan feels so too?"

    "That''s right. I know Fuyuki is special, but it''s still frustrating."

    Rui''s words pierced through Shio''s heart.

    She knew their talents were different. And yet she still felt irritated as she was unable to do anything.

    "...but you see. Rui-san thinks that''s fine."

    "Eh...?"

    "Both Taiga and Fuyuki, they live in a different world from Rui-san. But... the place those two really want to be in, is this all-too-ordinary world of ours."

    That''s why, it was fine like this.

    After all''s over, she''ll greet them with a smile¡ª¡ªit was fine with just that.

    "............"

    Shio closed her eyes quietly.

    Somehow¡ª¡ªshe finally could see a glimpse of the road she should follow.

    Part 6

    "Haa...! Ha...!"

    She ran up the stairs.

    Her feet passed their limit long ago, she fell down many times already. Still, Haya stood up and continued to run towards the top floor.

    What occupied her mind, was the expression Aoko made right before she was swallowed by the muddy stream.

    Her best friend was terrified of extinction, feared death. Her real face was weak and fragile.

    ...one year ago, she made such an expression when I couldn''t see it?

    Scared, in pain, her heart was almost crushed. She held down the feelings she couldn''t do anything about. Frightened that her remaining life was slowly running out, and despite that, something she couldn''t forgive remained. She decided to kill herself and have revenge¡ª¡ªthat showed just in how much anguish she was in.

    As to not to allow that to repeat, Haya continued running while thinking she couldn''t allow Aoko to be alone. And¡ª¡ªshe found her collapsed and crying like a small child.

    "...uu...u...aa..."

    "...Aoko."

    What was there, wasn''t a demon of vengeance that annihilated Kiritou all alone. It was a tiny girl terrified of death.

    Her virtual body was at the limit of endurance and began collapsing already, particles of light continued to spill from her body.

    As Haya took a step closer. Through the particles of light, Aoko''s feelings flowed.

    ¡ª¡ªShe thought it would be better to have lived alone.

    Asumi Aoko''s existence wouldn''t be acknowledged by anyone, she would died miserably discarded like garbage in a place where the light of sun didn''t reach.

    But she has met the light named Kiritou Haya, and learned what was comfort.

    If it was her old self, she would have been able to stand the loneliness. But after experiencing the warmth, it made her feel even colder now.

    She no longer was strong enough to withstand loneliness.

    No... I am the one who weakened Aoko.

    The floor gradually collapsed.

    The building was slowly turning into a slope, she staggered almost losing balance. Still, Haya continued to walk¡ª¡ªand gently hugged the kneeling girl.

    "Ha...ya...?"

    "...sorry. I didn''t notice. Even though I was the one who dragged you through it... I couldn''t protect you."

    She arbitrarily decided and was under impression that the talented girl was someone strong.

    Haya made a mistake that she was strong enough to live alone. The truth was, that she was weaker than anyone, and desired connection with people more than anyone.

    "...I''m scared, Haya... I don''t want to be cold any more..."

    "Nn, I got it. I''ll be with you until the end. You''ll be warm like that, right?"

    The floor collapsed, Haya fell down while holding Aoko.

    ¡¶Indra¡· was looking down on them, it shone and swallowed everything, destroying it. At this rate both of them will¡ª¡ª

    ...well, that''s fine. Such a conclusion isn''t bad either.

    Immediately after Haya closed her eyes, a sky blue glow filled the sky.

    Part 7

    What Taiga felt after he entered Indra, was warmth.

    Covering his entire body was a temperature that made his body feel comfortable and took away the senses in his body.

    This is¡ª¡ªnot¡ª¡ªgoo...d¡ª¡ª

    If it was pain, he could put up with it. But this was out of question.

    All the damage he received and fatigue he accumulated entered the gaps of his heart, he couldn''t shake them off.

    A mental structure of ten thousand people, the souls which lost their bodies clung to Taiga''s virtual body as if saying ''give it to me'' and cut off his nerve connections.

    It stalled him in the air.

    Leave your body to this warmth. It''ll be comfortable¡ª¡ªhe almost drowned in the temptation, that''s when.

    ¡´¡ª¡ª¡ªI''ll lend you a hand. Come, it''s over here dammit."¡µ

    He heard a horribly nostalgic voice. It reached out to him.

    In the white haze he couldn''t feel any directions, he relied on her voice and followed her.

    "...Iora."

    ¡´"It''s been a friggin week hasn''t it, Taiga."¡µ

    A small body that fits in one hand, transparent blue hair. Although her face was the same as Asumi Aoko''s, her tone was weird and rude¡ª¡ªit was the AI ?Iolite.

    "You, why... Aoko said you disappeared..."

    ¡´"I escaped right before that happened. Rather than that, is your damn body all right now?"¡µ

    "Body? Now that you say it..."

    He suddenly noticed that the pleasant sensation disappeared, his blurred five senses returned to normal. With the fatigue and pain which returned to his body he could still withstand this.

    ¡´"I moved the other mental structures away. I bought you some time like this."¡µ

    "...since when were you here?"

    ¡´"When ¡¶Indra¡· was generated I escaped from Master Aoko seeing a chance to interfere. An AI also has a mental structure so... in the end, I could only delay its completion."¡µ

    "So you did such a thing."

    ¡´"Yes. Just as I promised, I continued my futile resistance."¡µ

    As she said that, a smile spilled on Iora''s face.

    The promise she made with Taiga¡ª¡ªhonestly to a fault, she tried to fulfill it.

    "I see... cheers for your hard work."

    She believed that Taiga would come and stop it. Just by believing in it, she could continue struggling.

    ¡´"Taiga came to destroy the nucleus right?"¡µ

    "Yeah. To end this pointless revenge¡ª¡ªthat''s what I came here for."

    ¡´"Then... you know what to do right?"¡µ

    Iora looked straight at him, he silently nodded.

    Rather than theorizing, he knew it instinctively. It was the centre of the Logic Bomb, the origin that pieced together a ten thousand mental structures. And that the girl right in front of him¡ª¡ª

    "You''re the nucleus, aren''t you."

    ¡´"...yes."¡µ

    It was something that had to be cut.

    ¡´"Please don''t make such a face, Taiga."¡µ

    Iora looked at Taiga who hung his head, she laughed quietly.

    ¡´"Iora is originally an artificial existence, nobody will be hurt if she disappears. If so many lives are to be saved thanks to that, that''s a damn great thing."¡µ

    "I can''t categorize it so easily, I''m not too smart."

    Iora looked into Taiga''s pupils as if to admonish him. But Taiga wasn''t convinced by her words.

    Even so, there was no other way besides destroying her, he understood it to a painful extent. That''s why he put a hand on the nodachi hanging by his waist.

    ¡´"...thank you."¡µ

    "I don''t have a right to be told that by someone whom I''m about to destroy. Rather than that, let me ask you something."

    ¡´"What is it dammit?"¡µ

    "...you, are you Asumi Aoko?"

    Taiga was somehow confident as he asked that question. Iora was surprised for a moment, but soon after she smiled softly and stared back at him.

    ¡´"Why do you think so?"¡µ

    "There''s no solid reason for that. It''s just a hunch."

    ¡´"...that''s just like you."¡µ

    With a faint smile, Iora answered.

    ¡´"...the answer is YES, and NO. When Master Aoko was lurking in Iora''s body as a Hologhost, she has thrown away some feelings that were in the way of her revenge like compassion and kindness. Part of them were absorbed into the artificial intelligence¡ª¡ªthat''s what happened according to Iora''s analysis."¡µ

    "I see..."

    The remaining feelings Asumi Aoko''s had for Kiritou Haya¡ª¡ªthat kind of thing.

    When he looked below, he saw something like a thin haze approach him slowly. Iora''s interference was approaching its limit.

    "...it''s about time for farewell, Iora."

    ¡´"...yes. Goodbye."¡µ

    Iora took a step away, she spread out her arms holding out her body in front. Taiga slowly lowered his body and put a hand on the nodachi''s hilt.

    "...... ? Secret Technique¡± first form"

    Taiga closed his eyes and took a deep breath, concentrating.

    Right now he will destroy a personality, he will take a life¡ª¡ªin order to never forget this sin, he engraved it in his heart.

    His feet released all the strength, he concentrated on the arms holding the nodachi and pulled out the blade at godspeed while taking a step forward!!

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡¶Haryuu¡·!!!!"

    An enormous amount of light overflowed together with the slash, it swallowed the small girl.

    ¡´"...thank you for stopping me, Taiga."¡µ

    With that, everything was over.

 Volume 3, Epilogue - The Proof She Once Lived

    Volume 3, Epilogue - The Proof She Once Lived

    Part 1

    Before she knew it, Haya was already awake.

    "............"

    What she saw in front of her with a dim vision, was a pure white ceiling. She heard a regular electronic beeping and the sound of pure white curtains swayed by the wind.

    "...heaven''s quite bleak isn''t it."

    "Leave sleep talk for when you''re asleep. A woman like you won''t die so easily."

    When she turned her head in shock, she found Tenryo Taiga''s figure in plain clothes seated on a folding chair. He held both of his hands behind his head and looked outside through the window as if he was in daze.

    "Before you ask. This is Kiritou general hospital''s VIP room. Want to know your condition?"

    "...please."

    "Okay. Although there is no trauma, there seem to be quite a large psychological damage. In the worst case, you might have not awakened. It''s great it took only a week."

    "A week... so I slept that long."

    She turned towards the opened window while still lying down. She marked this day as ''one week passed since that day''.

    On that day¡ª¡ªHaya hugged the disappeared Aoko as the Indra fell on them.

    She determined herself to disappear along with that woman.

    But immediately after the giant light hit the two, everything was filled with sky blue colour¡ª¡ªand she lost her consciousness.

    Here I thought I was invited to the other world... but I persistently survived haven''t I.

    In the end, Kiritou Haya let Asumi Aoko go there alone.

    That was the conclusion. No one was saved, a futile ending.

    "Now then. Haya, you might not be feeling the best after waking up, but listen to me."

    And Taiga spoke to her about what she should know.

    The ten thousand mental structures with composed ¡¶Indra¡· went back to their original bodies on the same day.

    The ''Kiritou'' was one of four major cyber-related corporations, were it become to be public the damage would be immeasurable. The negative effects of ¡¶Jail¡· caused Kiritou Kouya as well as the executives to have only vague memories of the incident and it was further buried in the darkness.

    The world didn''t change, Kiritou continued to be one corner of the four major corporations. It was as if the girl called Asumi Aoko didn''t exist right from the beginning.

    "...I see."

    When Haya heard the story from Taiga she suffered from negative emotions and hug her head. Seeing the suicidal expression Taiga let out a small sigh.

    "I saved you after going through a lot of trouble. Be more happy."

    "...there''s no way I can do that can I. In the end, I didn''t give anything to neither Aoko nor Iora... maybe I should have acted differently."

    If only she questioned Kouya earlier. If only she noticed that Aoko was inside of Iora earlier. If only she discovered ¡¶Angel¡·''s identity earlier. ¡ª¡ªSuch regrets occupied her mind.

    "...it might sound cruel, but Asumi Aoko would reach happiness. She lost her life a year ago. Even if she turned into a ghost, the past wouldn''t change."

    The moment she turned herself into a Hologhost to have her revenge, she stepped on a road from which she couldn''t be saved.

    The only thing the two of them could do was to stop her by force. If not, it would have reached the worst conclusion.

    Taiga opened the terminal window, and displayed data in front of Haya.

    "That''s...?"

    "It seems like Asumi Aoko''s diary. Fuyuki found it in the server room."

    Haya turned the pages around frantically.

    From the day she was picked up by Kiritou until the day prior to her suicide. Her anguish, hatred as well as all the contents of the plan were written there in detail. She slowly read it all.

    "Aoko..."

    "It''s just my selfish imagination but... she wanted someone to stop her. If she only cared about her objective, there would be no need to leave this diary behind. Moreover, were it to be found the plan would be ruined."

    It was a wishful thinking that saved her, even if just a little bit.

    Taiga himself knew very well that there was no basis for it.

    "...yeah, I think so too."

    However, Haya decided to believe his words.

    Aoko suffered badly and decided to take revenge, and to this diary she entrusted her only hope. As she was about to take the final step, that''s what she must have thought.

    Time flowed in silence.

    An uncomfortable atmosphere drifted in room, after five minutes passed with the two who didn''t know what to say. Unexpectedly, a quiet electronic sound came from Taiga''s terminal.

    "Oh, it''s finally here. Nice timing, Fuyuki."

    "What, you look strangely happy. Got some good news?"

    "Yeah. She says she finally found a hidden treasure in Kiritou."

    When Haya tilted her head puzzled, Taiga executed a program he was sent by Fuyuki. The built-in projector in the terminal activated and displayed a girl in the hospital room.

    She had refined and clean facial features, as well as long bluish-black hair.

    Clad in a fantastic fluttering costume like a fairy from fairy tales, a girl who looked exactly like Asumi Aoko¡ª¡ªAI ?Iolite was there.

    "...w..hy...?"

    "It''s Iora''s virtual body that Aoko was using. I asked them if it was possible to restore the body somehow. Fuyuki and the others recovered the wrecked data picking it up one by one. But we couldn''t do much about her mind."

    They dug through an enormous amount of data that was destroyed by Logic Bomb ¡¶Indra¡· and reconstructed the body by sorting the data, it was a tremendous amount of work. But the three agreed to do it without any complaints.

    Haya raised her body and reached out to Iora who had her eyes closed and wouldn''t budge. It was a three-dimensional image so it couldn''t be touched. It was just an empty shell without a soul, so there was no reaction.

    Even so, Haya continued to stroke her time after time. She pulled out a virtual personality from her own terminal and incorporated it in her.

    "...activate."

    She gave Iora a push with his fingertips.

    After that, a few windows were expanded and an inorganic voice leaked from her mouth.

    ¡´"Start-up code confirmed. Reading virtual personality start. Connecting information collection from five senses... complete. Memory database generation... complete. AI ?Iolite starting in initial state."¡µ

    Slowly she opened her eyes.

    It was the same as when they first met, cold eyes which didn''t project any emotions found Haya, with a business tone completely unlike her she spun words.

    ¡´"Nice to meet you. I am an AI program called ¡¶Iolite¡·. I would like to proceed with master registration, will this miss become my master?"¡µ

    "Nice to meet you, huh... I''ve been prepared for this, but it is quite hard."

    "Haya..."

    The memory didn''t return after inserting a new virtual personality. Aoko who created Iolite together with her wouldn''t come back¡ª¡ªshe knew that. But the girl still had some hope, she could be called weak.

    ¡´"I''m sorry... because of me being timid I have broke miss'' heart... I''m really sorry."¡µ

    She repeated repentance time after time, tears flowed quietly down Haya''s cheeks. Iolite''s inorganic eyes stared at her and¡ª¡ª

    ¡´"¡ª¡ªI was happy being together with Master. Thank you very much."¡µ

    She said words that should be impossible for her.

    "Eh...?"

    Haya, as well as Taiga have stared at her in disbelief.

    Impossible. Iora''s virtual personality disappeared completely. She shouldn''t have remembered.

    "I-Iolite... just now...?"

    ¡´"...I do not know. For some reason. When I see Master shed tears, I absolutely need to convey it... that''s the feeling I get. There''s a possibility of a bug."¡µ

    "...it''s not... a bug."

    Really not knowing, AI ?Iolite tilted her neck.

    Haya wiped the teardrops which collected in the corner of her eyes, looked into her eyes and said as if praying.

    "You''re fine like that. You can remain as you are."

    ¡´"Understood. Master."¡µ

    After confirming her state Iolite nodded and was sucked into Haya''s terminal. While staring at the disappearing after glow, Haya declared.

    "Taiga... I have decided. From now on I will forever pursue the dream I had with Aoko. I will develop an AI who can become friends with people. No matter how many years it will take, definitely."

    "...I see."

    There was a very difficult road in front of her.

    But she will never give up. Even without any proof of that, Taiga was confident about it. One day, she will definitely achieve¡ª¡ª

    "Why are you talking as if it doesn''t concern you? You''re doing it with me."

    "Ha?"

    He didn''t understand what she meant, seeing him like that Haya made a grand smile.

    "Because I''ll be graduating starting from next year, you''ll be my first employee. Congratulations, there isn''t many people who get a job offer on their first year?."

    "Wait wait! The talk leaped far too forward!"

    "But isn''t it quite a good offer? With your grades it''s impossible to enter cyber-related companies and you probably won''t be able to stand working in a normal company will you. Impossible. Instead, I could use you well."

    "Use... you..."

    "And if I hire you then I''ll be able to catch Fuyuki-san and Saionji-san as well. I''ll get the top student of first year as well as the runner up? It''s not easy to get such high quality staff."

    "So that''s your real aim!"

    Taiga started panicking because of the sudden development, Haya looked at this with a happy smile on her face.

    And then, she made a nasty teasing smile as if she came up with something. She outstretched her hand towards the fountain pen placed on the side-deck, picked it up and dropped it on the floor on purpose.

    "Ah... sorry Taiga, can you pick it up?"

    "Hey hey, you all right? Maybe you still feel¡ª¡ªNMU?!!''

    It was when Taiga looked up to pass her the fountain pen.

    She suddenly pulled him by his collar towards the bed and pressed her soft lips against his.

    Eh, wh, wai¡ª¡ªwait WAIT?!

    Not understanding the situation at all, Taiga''s thinking overheated all at once.

    Why was Haya''s face so close to his, why were his and her lips stuck together.

    *click*

    "¡ª¡ª¡ª?!?!?!"

    The moment a quiet sound of a camera shutter filled the air, he separated from her.

    Haya''s terminal seemed to be the source of the sound, in there, was a photo of a boy and a girl kissing¡ª¡ª

    "Yup yup. It came out well."

    "Y-Y-y-you what are you doing?!"

    He didn''t understand. Neither why would she suddenly kiss him, nor why would she take a picture of it.

    Haya showed Taiga the photo''s data and said.

    "A trade. If you don''t agree, I''ll show this photo to your little sister."

    "ARE YOU A DEVIL?!!"

    He didn''t even want to try imagining how Fuyuki would react after being shown such a thing.

    To avoid that he would do anything¡ª¡ªjust when he thought that, with a strangely good timing a mail came from Fuyuki. It said ''hurry up and come down''. He checked the clock and realized it was past the meeting time they agreed on.

    "Geh... sorry Haya, I''ll come again! That photo, erase it properly!"

    "Ah¡ª¡ªw-wait!"

    She tried to stop him as he jumped out in a hurry, he looked back at her.

    "...thank you for everything. I''m really grateful."

    She said it shyly, with a blush on her cheeks.

    Involuntarily, he was fascinated by her beautiful figure combined with her black hair flowing in the wind.

    Taiga left the hospital room.

    Haya stared at the terminal Iolite has entered, she made a phone call to a certain person with a clear purpose and determination. After eight calls, the other recipient finally responded.

    "...it''s been a week since we last spoke, Father."

    ¡´"What do you want. I''m busy so be quick."¡µ

    Hearing the cold voice her heart almost broke.

    She always followed his orders. Never thought about standing up to him, and lived as he ordered her to. That life was to end here and now.

    Haya clenched the terminal tightly, as she did that she felt a courage well up inside her.

    "Is that so. Well, in short it would be¡ª¡ª"

    She looked at the sky outside the window, and she announced both ending and the beginning.

    "¡ª¡ªI declare a war."

    In order to continue the dream the girls pursued, she depicted it like that.

    Part 2

    "Ah, Taigaaa! Over here!"

    He rolled out of the hospital into the pleasant sunshine. Taiga looked towards where the energetic voice called him from and saw Rui waving her hands towards him. Fuyuki and Shio stood next to her.

    "...it took you quite long. What were you doing?"

    "Explaining what happened and such."

    Taiga dodged the topic appropriately, Fuyuki entwined their arms as if it was natural and stared at him questioningly. Rui''s and Shio''s line of sight pierced his arm and was somehow uncomfortable.

    In order to deceive them he spoke to all three.

    "Sorry to make you do such a tedious work. Shio too in the end had to stay for a week in a hotel because of that."

    "I don''t mind at all. Thanks to that I could practice housework with Rui-chan and pass Hime-chan''s test."

    "Did you find a room for yourself?"

    "Not yet, but I''ll definitely live in this city. This city which Onii-san and Hime-chan lives in."

    There was no hesitation in her pupils. Fuyuki noticed that Rui gently stared at her and she made a puzzled expression.

    "Rucchan, you look somewhat happy?"

    "Really? ...yup, I guess I am."

    Rui said so and laughed, she hugged Taiga''s other arm.

    As her large and soft breasts pressed onto him he involuntarily tried to pull his arm out, but Rui firmly held it.

    "Hey hey, Taiga. Rui-san wants a reward."

    "A r-reward?"

    "Yup. I did my best this time right? So, I don''t care when but let''s go on a date."

    "Please wait a moment Rucchan. If that''s the case then Little Sister is the biggest contributor and she should go first."

    Seeing Rui rub his body wanting to be spoiled, Fuyuki raised her eyebrows. She strongly embraced his arm as if to compete with Rui and raised her index finger to point at Taiga.

    "Little Sister hasn''t forgotten, the date she was promised two weeks ago still hasn''t happened. That''s right, with this it''ll turn into a short trip, how about that?"

    "Grr, that''s not fair. What does Shio-chan think?"

    "Eh, umm... I''m a bit envious..."

    As the three happily chatted, Taiga looked up at the sky.

    The world of light they were always aiming for.

    Now he was standing in the place they always longed for, no matter how many sins they''ve piled up.

    He desperately grabbed onto the light people like Asumi Aoko reached out to, but couldn''t grasp.

    "...God, I beg you. Please let days like these continue."

    Taiga muttered a quiet prayer and continued to walk with the girls.

    ¡ª¡ªIn the pleasant and warm sunlight he will hold onto the happiness that was granted to him.

 Volume 3, Afterword

    Volume 3, Afterword

    The long awaited leading role of the scheming student council president!

    It''s been a while (probably) since you read this, this is Kazuma Jouchi.

    How did you like the third volume of ''ELYSION virtual region''?

    This time it''s a story of a gifted and loved by virtual world girl as well as Kiritou Haya who was subtly involved with the main story starting from the first volume.

    ...ah, as usual from this point onwards it''s gonna include spoilers. These are endnotes for the people who read the volume.

    The new character this time is Asumi Aoko (although she disappears by the end of the volume) and is the core of the story of this ''ELYSION virtual region''. A girl who has a talent greater than Fuyuki, and yet is used and broken¡ª¡ªher revenge that has began starting with the first volume hasn''t succeeded because of Taiga and Haya. All the kindness Aoko had in her heart¡ª¡ªin the end was all accumulated inside Iora and fuelled her last act.

    This time there were major changes in this work''s romance relationships.

    Fuyuki took a straight approach and relayed her feelings of wanting to be more than ''siblings. Rui is going at a heart-soothing pace. And seeing Rui like that Shio has reaffirmed her feelings.

    By the way, in the author''s imagination Shio is a perverted girl. She got excited by thinking of seducing her best friend''s dear person¡ª¡ªa glimpse of that could be seen in the massage scene. In fact it was also a setup for a scent fetish.

    Then it''s Rui-chan who''s overflowing with motherly features + has a huge chest. When I first looked at her in the swimsuit I was like "What''s this! It''s spilling out isn''t it!" and ended up staring at it for five minutes (even now I occasionally look at it). The lap pillow scene is one of my favourite. Rui-chan the true legal wife.

    And there''s no need to say anything about Fuyuki. The sensual and lovely cute little sister is the best!

    Acknowledgements.

    The one who draws wonderful illustrations nauribon-sensei, the editor Takeishi-sama, editor-in-chief, people in charge of calibration, and many others. Thanks you all I was able to safely release this book. Thank you very much. And above all, readers who have picked up this book, my appreciations.

    Taiga''s and the others story has come to a conclusion. From now onwards the girls will accompany him on his full of light road.

    Now then, if willed so by fate let''s meet again in a different story.

    See you next time if there''s a chance.